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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



PRESENTED BY 



UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 






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OHtBB®A»l?l#W 



OF THE 



ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY 



OF 



AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, 



SINC'LAIRVILLE, N. Y., JULY 4, 1870, 



(N TPK 
SIXTY-KIOHTH YEAi: or the Si;TTI,K,Mi;NT OF THE TOWN OF 



M A R fit illl B I 



INOLUDlNd THE 



HISTORICAL ADDRESS BY OBED EDSON. 






WITH AN APPENDIX. 



i 



PUBLISHED BY DIRECTION OP THE COMMITTEE OP ARRANGE' 

MENTi. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, 
By OB ED ED SON, 

In the offic*'. of the Libraruin of Congnss, <it Wdshintjtoti . 






mmMMism^wm 

National Centennial Celebration. 



A meeting of the citizens of the town of Charlotte, 
in the County of Chautauqua, and State of New York, 
was held pursuant to public notice, at the hotel of Hen- 
ry Sylvester in Sinclairville in said town, June 10,1876, 
to consider the expediency of celebrating the Centen- 
nial Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, 
on the 4th of July, 1S76, and of causing an address, 
containing a historical sketch of the town to be deliv- 
ered, in pursuance of a proclamation of the President, 
dated May 25, 1S76. Henry Reynolds was chosen 
Chairman, and W. Thos. Wilson Secretary, ft was re- 
solved unanimously to hold such a celebration at Sin- 
clairville, and a committee was chosen to make all of 
the arrangements therefor, and to carry the same into 
execution. Such committee consisted of the following 
persons, viz: W. W, Henderson, r.hairman; R, E. 
Sheldon, A, A, Stevens, Henry Reynolds, William Reed, 
Alonzo Langworthy, H. W. Lapham and Nelson Mitch- 
ell. 

The following persons were designated by the Com- 
mittee of Arrangements as officers for the occasion: 

President of the Day — John M. Edson of Sinclairville. 

Vice PreddeufH — Randolph W. Seaver, Wm. M. Wag- 
oner, .John Pickett, David Sinclcar, Nathan Cleland, 
Samuel Cleland, Ezra Riclniiond, Nathan Lake, Daniel 
B. Lake, Sylvanus Pickard, .Joshua Thompson, Nelson 
(!hasc, -luslus Torry, Henry Smith, Dr. Joel E. Kimball, 
Ehi'uo/.';!- Skinner, Otis Harris, Hugh Hai-per, R. D. 
Slicruian, Davi<l Sheldon, .J, P. Bellows, Olvin Putnam, 
Richard Brock, Nathan (IriHWa, Jesse Walker, Robert 
Lenox, E. C. Preston. 

Marsh fd — Alonzo I^angwortii}'. 

AfiHidant MarnJudy — Sylvanus Norton, Augustus 
Burnham. 

Committee on Finance — R. E. Sheldon, Dexter M. 
Drake, E. O. Bargar. 



2 ('harloitc Nutw-iial Ccnicitnint. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES FOR THE SCHOOL DISTiilCTS OF 
THE TOWN OF CHARLOTTE. 

Dist. No. 1 — Edwin' Putnam and wife, Byron Cleland 
and wife, Alanson Pickett and wife. 

Dist. No. 2 — Allen A. Stevens and wife, Addison Lake 
and wife, Corydon Seaver and wife, H. E. Kimbel and 
wife. 

J)ist. No. o—T. D. Copp and wife, D. B. Dorsett and 
wife, Richard Reed and wife, H. A. Kirk and wife, F. 
W. Kirk and wife, Henry Sylvester and wife, William 
Tu2:wel and wife, R. P. Reed and wife, A. A. Stone and 
wife, Henrv Forstbauer and wife, Bela B. Lord and wife, 
B. W. Field. 

Dist. 'No. 4 — Willard Luce and wife, Leroy Fox and 
wife, Edward Jackson and wife. 

Dist. No. 5 — John Luce and wife, John Parsons and 
wife, H. G. Pease an(l wife. 

Dist, No. C) — Thomas Thompson and wife, Thomas 
Spear and wife, Orren Torry and wife. 

Dist. No. 7 — William Brown and wife, Edwin H. Ed- 
son and wife, Lewis H. Ellis and wife, Merlin M. Wag- 
oner. 

fh'.st. No. 8— Augustus Burnham and wife, Alexander 
J. Rood and wife. 

/^isf. A'o.l)— William H. Cipperly and wile, Alheit 
Lee and wife, Lyman Link and wife. 

y>/.s/. iVo. 1(»— Henry T. Dunbar and wife, Wilson Ed- 
monds and wife, Jacob Lan<2:worthy and wife. 

/fist. No. 11 — Edwin Ciawford and wife, Lewis Sim- 
mons and wife. 

Joint Dist. Cliar/ottc ami Cherry Gink — Nathan M. Cle- 
land and wife, John M. L'win and wife, Edwin F. Lake 
an<l wife. 

(hmniittce on Fircnorks — l^Mwin B, Mitchell, Abrani 
Tankey, Willard N. Kclley. 

Committee on National iSalides — James Heminger, Wil- 
liam Trusler, John Truslcr, Edward Faulhaber, Henry 
Heppner. 



The, day was ushered in by the ringing of bells, and 
a national salute of thirteen guns, fired by the village 
brass cannon. The early morning was bright and clear, 
but gathering clouds indicated the approach of a storm; 



CimrloUe National Cetitennial 3 

the rain commenced about nine o'clock, a. m., which 
prevented the beginning of the ceremonies of the day 
at the appointed time. About eleven o'clock a. m., the 
rain ceased, and soon after a procession arrived from 
the north-east part of the town, in charge of assistant 
marshal Augustus Burnham. It was joined by carria- 
ges from other parts of the town. The assemblage, led 
by the Sinclairville Cornet Band, proceeded to the 
grounds of the Sinclairville Fair Ground Association; 
leaving there their carriages, and depositing their re- 
freshments in the buildings of the Fair Ground, they 
then formed at 12 o'clock m.. the general procession, 
under the direction of the marshal and assistant mar- 
shals, in the following order: 

Marshal. 

Sinclairville Cornet Band. 

National Flag. 

President of the Day. 

Historian and Reader. 

Clergymen. 

Vice Presidents. 

Citizens, a large number. 

'riie [)r()('ession maiched along the eastern track of 
the Driving Park of the Fair Grounds, to the gateway 
at its northern side, opening into the ample .ind shady 
grove of Bela B. Lord, adjacent to, and north of the 
Fair Grounds, where a speaker's stand and seats had 
been prepared. 

The exercises commenced by the reading of the 
President's Proclamation l)y R. E. Sheldon of Sinclair- 
ville, as follows: 

A PKOCLAAfATION. 

Whereas a joint resolution of the Senate and House 
of Representatives of the United States was duly ap- 
proved on the 13th day of March last, which resolution 
is as follows: 

" He it TCHolvrd hy tlw Sennic and House of Reprcscnta- 
livcH of the United Statcn of America, in Ccmgress assembled. 
That it be, and is hereby, recommended by the Senate 
and House of Representatives to the people of the seve- 
ral States, that they assemble in their several counties 



4 Charlotte National Cctdeivnial. 

or towns on the approaching centennial anniversary of 
our national independence, and that they cause to have 
delivered on such day, an historical sketcli of such coun- 
ty or town from its formation, and that a copy of said 
sketch he filed in print or manuscript in the Clerk's 
Office of said county, and an additional copy in print or 
manuscript bo filed in the office of the Librarian of 
Congress, to the intent that a complete record may be 
thus obtained of the progress of our institutions during 
the first centennial of their existence;" and, 

Whereas, it is deemed proper that such recommend- 
ation be brought to the notice and knowledge of the 
people of the United States; now, therefore, I, Ulysses 
S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby de- 
clare and make known the same, in tfie hope that the 
object of such resolution may meet the approval of the 
people of the United States, and that proper steps may 
be taken to carry the same into effect. 

Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, 
the 25th day of May, in the year of our Lord 1876, and 
of the independence of the United States the one hun- 
dredth. 

By the President. U. S. GRANT. 

Hamij.ton P^ish, Secretary of State. 

John M. Edson, the Piesident of the Day, addressed 

the assemblage substantially as folh)ws: 

Fkllow Citizens: — A centuiy ago John Adams fore- 
told tliatthis day would be celebiated as a great anni- 
versary, that future generation.^ would I'cmember it 
with bon-fires and illuminatit>ns, and other synibols of 
]-ejoicing. Since then this day has not passed without 
such demonstrations. Its sacred observance has done 
mucb to perpetuate and preserve our liberties; to keep 
alive the patriotism of the peo])le, nerving them to re- 
sist the dangers that have threatened tjiem ; it has made 
them vigilant, and eternal vigilance is said to be the 
price of liberty. Our country during the century has 
been assailed l)y foes from without and within; we have 
been involved in continuous wars with the Lidian, 
England and Mexico; we have had a full .share of in- 
ternal trouble and dissensions; Shay's war in Massachu- 
Mts; the whiskey rebellion in Pennsylvania; the con- 
• .! <\u'y of l)urr; tbe Hai'tford convention convened it 
; msimI in the interest of the enemy. Some of these 
^ (1 (Inngeishavebeen averted bynegotiation,oth- 
\ i I 1 )y 1( n'co. ( )f a ■ ' ^ ■ > ' 1 ' (i cation of S( >uth Car- 
nMUfM-cdli ""^' and force ofwill 

' Ihecountrvto 



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^^^^ ^X . L>t5 






Ilidory of (JharLoik. 5 

meet and triumph over these difficulties, has been fos- 
tered by tlie annual recurrence and observance of our 
National Festival. The grand scale upon which it is 
being celebrated through the nation to-day, may not 
have been foreseen. When the remains of Bonaparte 
were removed from St. Helena to France, the enthusi- 
asm for his memory was mainly confined to those whose 
fortunes had been actually joined with him. The en- 
thusiasm of this day is more extended and better foun- 
<led. Its universal observance and the cordiality with 
which even European nations rejoice with us, lead us to 
l)elieve that the seeds of Republicanism are being sown 
bv the Goddess of Liberty, and that a rich harvest will 
result as the fruit of the sowing, when the next Centen- 
nial shall be celebrated. 

Prayer was offered by Rev. J. L. Powell, of the Bap- 
tist Church of Sinclairville. 

The (xlee Club, composed of Mrs. L. M. Lincoln, Ma- 
ry Pearson, Ida Bellows, Anna Sylvester, J. L. Powell, 
Martin McCullough and E. L. Husted, Nettie Cleland 
oi-gjuiist, sang " America." 

The Declaration of Independence was read by W. 
Thos. "".Vilson, of Sinclairville. 

The Sinclairville Cornet Band played an appropriate 
I>iece. 

Obed Edson, of Sinclairville, delivered the following 
Address: 

ADDRESS: 

There may 1)0 nothing in the annals of a little com- 
niunity like ours, that entitles it to a place beside a na- 
tion's iiistory,for we can point to no famous battle-fields, 
or bloody wai's. Yet, if we but look, we may see close 
around us liere, fields where glorious victories have 
been won, peaceful victories, that have brought in their 
train, neither pestilence nor famine; that have made 
neither widows nor orphans. Here, where we stand, 
and on these verdant hills and green fields, within the 
century that closed with yesterday, there stood forest 
trees of majestic growth ; thickly standing as they had 
for centuries stood. He, who merely as a lover of na- 
ture, gazed upon these boundless woods, when they 
grew in their original grace, and saw them in the spring 



6 Ifidm'y of Chorlotte. 

when robed in raiment of the brightest green, or in au- 
tumn, when time and frost had changed their vesture 
to silver and gold, this attractive scene could but invite 
and charm. But to the pioneer, who sought a home in 
this mighty forest, to grapple with and subdue it, it prof- 
fered only a lifetime of toil and privation; a constant 
and exhaustive struggle. Yet the forest has been van- 
quished, and there yet lingers with us the veteran rem- 
nants of the army, that fought this battle of the Wil- 
derness. It shall be the business of this day to recount 
the incidents of that struggle. 

Their exploits are not such as we find emblazoned u})- 
on the pages of history; no thrilling adventures — no 
hair-breadth escapes — no fierce encounters with human 
foes, and scarcely with the untamed denizens of the 
woods. Yet their achievements Avere not less manly, 
and the vii-tues that inspired them less noble, than those 
that animated the l)eroes of history. They had forti" 
tudc to bear tlie privationsincident tolife in the woods; 
coui-age and i-esolutioji tofaccthe innumeral)le dangers 
that i)esct tiieni; and better than all, hunianity to light- 
en tiic bu;-(hcns, and ]xlieve the wants, of those that 
sullered witli them in tlie wilderness. 

If the brief records of a town, fail to fill the breast 
with patiiotic pride, as do the annals of a nation; if the 
sinn)le story of our fi'icndsand townsmen, does not kin- 
dle the lolly cMnotif-ns ins[)ired by the victories of lau- 
loied heroes, they foster sim2)le and. tender affections; 
they savor more of the hearthstont^; and the suggestion 
was a wist! one, that on this One Hundredth Anniver- 
sary of the Country's birth, Ave should do honor, not on- 
ly ('> the ln.'roos tluit lielped to carve out our National . 
Inde|H'n(U-nce with the sword, and the statesmen that 
fVamed the wise system of government that this day 
will cease to Ixi j-egarded as only an experiment; l>ut 
also that we should go among our neighl)ors, and at the 
fii'esidc honoi' the [)ioneor who assisted to remove the 
forest, piopare the homes, and lay the foundations up- 



Ilidin-ij of Chdr/nlft . 7 

on which tJie statesiiuni ha;? built, and which the .soldier 
defended. The achievements of the one, are e(|ual to 
those of the other; achievement.^ that move the l)rcast 
alike with o'eneroiLs emotions, and stir the lieart with 
an equal, but a ditferent pleasure. 

The nobler passions, and the inimble but cherished 
atfections of the heart, all in some degree are found in 
every human breast; nature has i)lanted them there, 
and they are rooted strong and deep; stronger than any 
human structure; so strong that a system of govern- 
ment that ignores the most exalted. <»r the luiniblest of 
these human instincts, must soon })erish. The most 
glorious and enduring fabrics ever reared, whether the 
creations of poetry, the woik of statesmen, or a system 
of philosophy, have been always built upon some natu- 
ral experience, or simple necessity common to every 
breast. The wi.se.st and most permanent governments 
that now exist, are tho.se that lespect these natural in- 
stincts, and that cherish tlie traditions that tend to fos- 
ter them. 

France alw.iys nourished in tlicbi'casts of her people 
a iKitiniKil love; her oi-ators. Iici- statesmen, her songs, 
and her Ahii'seilles Hynni, all tire the breast with na- 
tional pride. The Fi-enchman's })ati'iotism, is inspired 
by a love for his countrymen in the aggregate, and the 
ruling passion witli liim is the (dory of France. It is 
this sentiment, .so fostei'ed, that inspires valor in her 
soldiery; that im[)els her peoj)le to deeds of unexam- 
pled self sacrifice; that ri'tains within her own domain 
Jier vast population, and ivstrains them from seeking 
our western shores. While on the otiier hand, the con- 
verse is ti'ue of an Englishman. flis pride is not so 
centered in the (ilory (tf England. He exults not so 

much in the great achievements of his people as a na- 
tion, as in the pos.ses.sion by his countrymen of their civ- 
il rights. He glories in his imperial prerogatives and 
privileges of an Englishman, and points with pride to 
tl 10 Magna Charta, "the Trial by Jury, and the Kill of 
Riirhts. 



8 Jl'istori/ of Charlotte. 

American statesmen thought to unite in harmony 
these opposite sentiments, to bind together for the pub- 
lic good, the ati'ection which men have for tlieir fire- 
sides, their families, and their personal rights; and 
which lie at the foundations of civil liberty, with the 
broad and exalted patriotism or love for one's wdiolc 
country, that lies at the foundations of national power. 
The}'' searched the pages of history for precedents for 
so great an experiment. They saw in the Achaian 
League, foriued in Greece 280 years B. C; the Hanse- 
atic League of German cities; and the Federal Union 
of the States of Switzerland, the germs of such a sys- 
tem as they conceived. Upon these hints, which they 
found thus scattered through the pages of history, they 
foj'med the mild, the strong, and the wise government 
under which we live; the Fedei-al Union of the States 
of America. A government which cheiishes with ten- 
der care the riglits of the humblest citizen, and prompt- 
ly maintains vvitli a strong arm the nation's honor. A 
government in wliich its ,s(n'oreign powers are divided 
iind distributed. To the genc^ral government is given 
general powers, among which is that of iirotecting it 
li-om its eneujies, and guarding its honor. While to 
states are resei'ved the exeix-ise of more extensive pow- 
ers; those which ]-elate to the civil )*ights and duties of 
the }>eo]>le and states. lvemend:»e]'ing that the primary 
purpose of government should be to protect the rights, 
and promote the hap})inessof its individuals, and mind- 
lul ol'the local wants and necessities of the people, States 
have tided upon the hint suggested by our liberal s^'stem 
of government,an(l extended governmcntto counties,and 
have even conferred, in a limited degree, sovereignty 
upon towns. 

.'vnd now let us al)rupt]y pause, and turn to the espe- 
cial business of the day, and relate the history and le- 
gends of a town; the smallest political community up- 
on wliicli sovereign powers have been conferred by the 
stau^ 



tfixfnni of Cftarloftf. 9 

111 coiiiiiioii with some other })ortions of Western 
New York, the town of Charlotte was once inhabited 
by an ancient people, as the remains of old fortifications, 
rude implements of war, and human bones brought to 
light by the plow, bear the usual evidence. At the first 
settlement of Sinclairville, an earthen breastwork ex- 
tended westerly from a point near the stone blacksmith 
shop, and Baptist Church, for a distance of about forty" 
live rods parallel to the steep bank, at the northerly 
boundary of the plateau, upon which the central por- 
tion of the village is situated, and distant from the bank 
about two and one-half rods. Near this earthwork, and 
where the garden of the village tavern is situated, bu- 
]-ied beneath the surface of the ground, were large quan- 
tities of stone that had l)een charred and broken by fire. 
I'iVen to this day, arrowheads of fiint, stone hatchets, 
aiul tAliL'v rude instruments of the stone age are found. 
Between this work and the steep bank of the hill, the 
first highway of the village once ran. Running for 
m ny rods eisterly and westerly, near to and parallel 
with the sr)uthe!-n Ixiundarv of this plateau, was a sim- 
ilar l)reastw()rk. Situated partly between these em- 
baidx-ments seemed to be the principal fortification. It 
was an extensive circular earthwork, having a trench 
upon the outside, and near the small rivulet that runs 
through the villa !:e along its southern side, was a gate- 
way. The little brook that crosses Main street, ran 
througii the iiortlu'i-n poi"tion of this fortification. It 
enclosed six or seven acres of what is now a ceiitral 
portion of the village. A part of Main street; portions 
of other streets, and the village green, all were inclu- 
ded within its boundaries. Its earthen walls, where 
they crossed Main street, nine or ten rods west of the 
village green, wci'e about four feet high, and required 
some labor to level tiieni when that street was first con- 
sti'ucted through the embankment. Upon the high 
bluir to the west, that rises precipitously from Mill 
cieek, was anoliiir tirrular earthwork witliin which 



10 Jlidorf/ of (JliorlotU. 

was a deep excavation. At a few other points in tlio 
town, there were evidences of ancient occupation; and 
one mile south of Sinclairville, in the town of (lerrv, 
was an earthwork and an ancient burial ground, from 
which fifty years ago or more, as many as fifty human 
skeletons were exhumed on one occasion; twenty years 
ago as many as twenty -five skeletons more were disin- 
terred. The speaker was present u})()n the latter occa- 
sion. These ancient relics prove, that Sinclairville and 
vicinity were once the favorite i-esort of a primitive 
people. 

Long after the Mound Builders liad passed away, and 
prior to 1650, when Europeans lirstcamcto know Liike 
Erie, the regions around about it, which included the 
town of Charlotte, it is su})posed were the dominions of 
a singular race of people known as the Neutral Nation, 
called Kahkwas by the t^enecas; they were great hun- 
ters and were (>xtreniely superstitious and fei'ocious, wa- 
ging lierce wars against the Nation of Fire, and other 
Western Indians. Tl;ey were thelirst {Possessors of our 
i^oil of whom we iiave any account. In tlu> year 1('.."(), 
tlic Iio(|Uoiscommenced a savage wai' u[»on tliem, which 
resulted in the destruction of the Neutrals. Tlieir town> 
were cai)tured by the savage enemy, many of the peopie 
butchered and cariied into captivity, and the reniain- 
iler driven from the villages and eorntiebls, into the 
forests where multitudes of them i)erished from want 
and exposure. From the extermination of the Neutral 
nation to its settlement by the [»ioneers of the Holland 
I'urchase, this territory continued to be the reahn of 
theSenecas; the fiercest and most numerous tribe of 
the Iroquois nation. 

Wluni the first white men visited tl)e town of Char- 
lotte, but few settlements had been madeinthe Western 
half of the iState of New York. Chautauciua County 
was then a deep and unbroken wilderness, in the undis- 
puted [)ossession of its tirst liolders, the Indians, whose 
iiomes and well t]-odden ti'ails, whose hunting and lisli- 



aV" / 



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<s 



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-in. 



Hi dory of ijhnrloftr. 11 

ing ground.* were still heie. No wliitcman lived with- 
in the limits of the coimn . Lake Erie was then a dreary 
waste of waters, raiely traversed l»y craft of any des- 
cription, save the Indian's eaiioe. 

The first white men known t«> have come within the 
'imits of the town, were tlie early surveyors employed 
by the Holland Land Company to run its boundary 
lines. John Elliott, of Kadnor township, Delaware comi- 
ty, and State of INMinsylvania. a surveyor with a party 
consisting accorcling to th«: lecords ]>reserved by tlie 
Holland Land (ompanyj of Azariah W'inshall. Thomas 
Kennedy, chain hearers: I'etei' Douglass. .)e.sse( 'lark.son, 
axuien: James Kennt^dy. <»riHith .Iuim-s. tlagmen; Wil- 
liam Hailan and Thomas Wrigh'.. pack horsemen, while 
running the line between lhe<'lev«MUh and twelitlirange 
of townships, Hrst, arrived Mt the southwest corner of 
the town, late in the day on tin- 1 Itli of July. 17*.*S, and 
en(njmpe<l for the night within the limits of the town* 
at its south-western coiner, at the eastern rdge r)f the 
< 'a.sadaga swamj). t )n the IJili they ran north on the 
west line of the town, and encamped for the night near 
where the Picketl bro<>k crosses the western boundary 
r»f the town. On the l:>th of July they completed the 
survey of (his lint;. The ea.stern boundary was survey- 
ed on the -iOth, 2Jst and 22d of July. 17J>8. by a party 
under Wareham Shepanl. The south line was survey- 
ed on the -iOth, -.Mst and 22(1 of July. ITDS, by a party 
under Aaion ()akford. JJie north line was the last e;*- 
tablished boundary; it was suiveyed by Aaron Oak- 
foid and his party oJi the 28th and 2J.>th of July of the 
.same year. 

Although the Holland Land Company, thus early 
completed the survey of the boundary lines of this and 
other towns of the county, only those portions of their 
territory more accessible for early settlement, were first 
surveyed into lots, and the land oti'ered for sale; conse- 
quently the few scattered settlements in this county, 
previous to the year 1808, were made principally in the 



12 fh'sforjf of .( 'finrfnfft. 

extreme iiDrthern j);n'ls, and durinij; tlio ten year? that 
immediately siu-ceeded tliese original surveys, tlie deey> 
.solitude of the wildciMiess that cov(Med the town, was 
not disturhed hy tlie sound of the axe, oi- the presenee 
of the white man; and the only visits tlurl it received, 
were when I'ovinu' hands of Sem^-as whose. dominions 
once included these reoions, wandered through (tr teiri- 
poiarily encamped there. The evidcTice of the frequent 
presence of these people wei-e fresh at the Wmv of tlie 
first settlement; oh! wi^wain.s' that had l)een ,temi)o)'a- 
lily occupied hy their fishinsi, and huntinii" parties, re- 
mained in the woods. In Sinclaii'ville, just norllr of 
the southern boundary of the town, and along the east- 
ern hank of Mill creek, there stood a tine _«>rowth of 
ma|)le trees, Avith tiainks scari'ed with the marks of tlie 
Indian's hat<'het, made many years l)efore; lyini;' near 
them werethe remains of rude elm l)ark liuckets, and 
standing: in the vicinity, hut dea<l or decaved, were the 
[)eeled elm trec-s from which they were made, all indi- 
catini)- that a suuai- camj) had at .some time l)een estal)- 
lished there. A well woi'U Indian ti-ail. that must have 
l»een trodden for a. century, leadini>' from thenoj'th-east- 
eni [>art of the coui»tv, [>assed through the noj-th-easl- 
ern part of the town, ('harlotte Center, ainl southerly 
down Mill ci'eek, through the t<»wn in the direction ol" 
the huntino- oiounds of the Indians, in IVnnsylvania, 
on the I>)-okenstraw. This may he called the first high- 
way in tlu^ town, and was the only route of travel used 
foi- several years after the Hrst settlement, hetween Sin- 
clairville and I'^orestville, and the north-eastern pai't of 
the county. For many years aftei- the first .settlement, 
parties of Indians passed to and fro over this ancient 
path, often decked in their favorite ornaments of paint 
and feathers. 

In the year LSOS, the silence of the forest was again 
hi'oken. The surveyor, who.se position is ahvays in the 
van of civilization, again pitched his tents in these 
deep woods, and resumed his labors. John Lamberton 



H'idonj of ( 'harlofff . Ill 

of Genesee eoiinty, wns tin- siir\('V<»r it is helieved who 
allotted the town of ( hailottc; ho uilh a paitv of hkmi 
<lurin.n' this yeai' nu-asui-ed and marked thr Ixmndarv 
lines, of the ditferent sections (»f tlie town, an<l asc-er- 
Uained the anionnt of land in each; and hy the chtse of 
the year the land was leady for niaiket. invitin*;- the 
pioneer to reai* here his loii' huilt i-ahin. and in,ike for 
himself a ru«i<ied honu' in the wilderness. 

In the l)e«;inninu of the year ISO*.), ('hantau(|ua Coun- 
ty was composed of hut two towns; Fcnnfret and ("hau- 
tauqua; the formei- of which inclu<led the town of (Char- 
lotte. At that time the whole population of the coun- 
ty was scarcely 2,000 souls. The settlements and im- 
pi"oveiiients then made, consisted oH isolated clearings, 
each ijenerally of but n few acres in extent, scattered at 
long intervals from the Cattai'auuus creek, to the Penn- 
.sylvania line, and nearly all of them within three or 
four miles of the shore of Lake Erie. Settlements had 
also been made at Mayville, and a few settlers had loca- 
. ted upon each shore of Ohautau(iua Lake, and along the 
('hautaiiqua and C^onewango Creeks; a few rude saw 
mills had been erected; a still less numberof gristmills. 
The dwellings of the settlers were genei-ally hastily built 
cabins of logs, making but a scanty shelter from the 
weather; the creeks and streams were unbridged; the 
roads wei-e but wilderness paths, little better than In- 
dian trails. As yet no one had ventured to break away 
from the settlements that were slowly gathering in the 
northei-n, and more accessible parts of the county, to 
penetrate into the dense wildei-ness that then covered 
the rough and uninviting hills of the interior and south- 
western towns of the county. The pioneer settlers of 
the town of Charlotte, were the first to withdraw them- 
selves from the meager conveniences, and advantages 
afforded l>y these scanty settlements, miles away into 
the W(»ods south of the ridge. 

In March, LSOO, a party of eight young men, to wit: — 
John Pickett, his brother Daniel Pickett, and brother-in- 



14 Hidorij of Cftarfoffc. 

law AivaO, Austin, from Chenango county; John and 
Taylor Gregg, and Abel Prior from Oneida county; — 
Abel Beebe, and Otliellow Church, ^^et out from the 
Holmes settlement in Sheridan, tliiee miles east of Can- 
adaway, now "Fredonia, to explore the wilderness, and 
select for themselves some favorable spot for a home. — 
They establishe«l their camp (m lot H4, near the north- 
west corner of the town, at a low wet place within the 
bt)undH of the highway as it now runs, a few rods south 
of the presentresidenceof Orville Dalrymple, and about 
50 or 60 rods south of the noith line of the town; here 
they encamped two nights, and in the meantime made 
their explorations. Church selected lands near Casa- 
daga; Beebe chose the farm in the south-east corner of 
the town of Pomfret; the remainder of the party select- 
ed land adjoining each other on lots H'2 and Ho, in the 
town of Charlotte, near its westei-n boundary. They 
then returned to Fredonia. and Church went to Bata- 
via, and in Ai>ril, ISO'J, booked the land selected by them. 
On the first day of Apiil, bSOO, .John Pickett, Daniel 
Pickett, his wife and two chihlren. Arva O. Austin, his 
wife, Al)el Prior, his wife, John and Taylor (rregg, all 
arrived in Charlotte, and immediately commenced 
building a log cabin on the bank of the Pickelt Brook, 
upon lot ()'2, the laud that had been selected l>y John 
Pickett; being the farm upon which he resided until 
bis death, whicli occurred yester<lay — (July 3, 1H70) — a 
peri(»d of moi'e than sixty-seven years, a witness'to the 
many woiidei-ful changes that during that time has ta- 
ken place, and to produce which he contributed his full 
share, in subduing the forest, and reclaiming the soil. 
He was born June 20, 1789, at Spencertown, Columbia 
county, N. Y. He afterwai-ds removed to Chenango 
county, and February 23, 1800, to Chautauqua. He was 
an industrious, and intelligent citizen of the town, be- 
ing often selected in early yeai'S to fill positions of re- 
sponsibility. His brother, Daniel Pickett, was born in 
Danbury, Connecticut, about the year 1780. In 1810, 



Hidori/ of ('liar/o1f(. 15 

he moved from Cliarlotte to New Orleans, and after- 
wards lived on the Pascagoula river. Arvu O. Austin, 
his brother-in-law, was born in Sherl)urn, Chenan<>:o 
county, February 24, 1791. He was married to Phel)e 
Pickett, February 13, 180*.>, and two days afterwards set 
out for Chautauqua county. 

The first tree felled by the party, was a lar^e syca- 
more to form one side of their dwelling, which ready 
and willing hands soon completed. It stood beside the 
Pickett brook, and was but a rude cabin of logs, and it 
may be would be undeserving of our notice, had it not 
been the first building erected in the town of Charlotte. 
In this abode the whole party dwelt during most of the 
summer, and until other dwellings had been erected, 
Daniel Pickett made selection of the farm lately owned 
by Eliab Barnum, on lot ()o; he built a cabin upon it, 
into which he moved in the fall of that year. Arva O. 
Austin .selected the farm owned by VanRansalear Fish- 
ei" at his decease, on the same lot. He also in the fall 
moved into the dwelling that he had built upon his 
claim. Abel Prior took up the farm lately owned by 
Elijah Montague, upon lot 62, and Taylor (Tregg the 
farm now owned by Edwin Putnam, upon the same lot. 

While this settlement was being made in the Pickett 
district, another was commenced in the woods three 
miles east of it, at ('harlotte Center. Robert W. Seaver 
was born in Wooster county, Massachusetts, July 3, 1762, 
He enlisted when (juite young in a Massachusetts regi- 
ment, and served over six years in the Revolutionary 
war. He was in the action at King's Bi-idge near New 
York, and in other engagements; he was discharged in 
1784, being then a sergeant. He was a prominent citi- 
zen of the town during its settlement, holding the of- 
fice of justice of the i)eace, and other positions. Ran- 
dolph W, Seaver now of Sinclairville is his son. He 
died in Charlotte, July 31, 1836. HeandBarna Edson, 
they then being residents of Oneida county, in the 
spring of 1809, came into the town of Charlotte. About 



16' History of Charlotte, 

a week was spent by them in tracing the lines of the 
lots marked by the survey the previous year, to find a 
good location. The woods abounded with game, and 
the pure waters of the brooks were remarkably full of 
trout, many of which they caught for food. During 
their explorations, they both selected land at Charlotte 
Center, Edson ninety acres of the south-west part of lot 
29, and Seaver the same amount, in the south-east part 
of lot 37. Edson immediately went to Batavia, and in 
May, 1800, booked the land, but did not return. Seaver 
remained and commenced clearing his claim, where 
the residence of the late Ezra Edmunds stands. Wil- 
liam Devine and his wife, came to Charlotte Center 
from Oneida county this season, at the request of Sea- 
ver, and took up the west part of lot 29, which included 
the claim of Edson. The fii*st building erected at Char- 
lotte Center, was the cabin built by Devine in 1809, up- 
on his claim; the dimensions were sixteen feet by eight- 
een; it had a bark roof, with one door and one window; 
it stood on lot 29, where the school house now stands. 
In the fall Seaver harvested his crops, consisting of a 
few bushels of ears of corn, put them into Devine's 
slianty, and he and Devine, and his wife w^ent back to 
Oneida county, to return however in the spring of 1810. 
When Mr. Seaver came to Charlotte, there stood on 
the bank of Mill creek, a gigantic sycamore, probably 
tiie largest tree in the town, and (jf such proportions as 
to rival the famous walnut that grew in the town of 
Hanover. In later years Mr. Joshua Jackson lost his 
cow, which after the lapse of several days was accident- 
ally found in the then hollow prostrate trunk of this 
ti'ee, thirty feet from its base. 

In tlie summer of 1809, Asa Durant located upon lot 
40, about one mile easterly of the Pickett settlement. 
After chopping about three acres of land, he in the fall 
of 1809, abandoned his claim and left the town. 

In the fall of 1809, beginning was also made of the 
settlement of Sinclairville. Major Samuel Sinclair, 



Nistorif of Charlofh. 17 

from whom tlie village derives its name, was born May 
10, 1762, at Vassalborough, on the Kennebec river, in 
the State of Maine. His parents Joshua Sinclair and 
Mary Cilley, were married in Scotland, and came to 
America about the year 17G0. He was the fifth of nine 
children, and was a kinsman of ('illey, a Member of 
C'Ongress from Maine, who was killed near Washington, 
in the celebrated duel with Graves, of Kentucky, and 
a nephew of Gen. Joseph Gilley, an otticer of the Revo- 
lution, conspicuous foi- his bravery as colonel of the 1st 
New Hampshire regiment, at the battles of Bemis 
Heights and Monmouth. Mr. Sinclear went with the 
American Army as an attendant to his uncle Col. Cille}', 
and was with him as such one year. June 20, 1777, 
being then barely fifteen years of age, he enlisted in 
Cai)t. Amos Morrill's company, of his uncle's, Col. Cil- 
ley's regiment, in Gen. Enoch Poor's brigade, and ser- 
ved for three years. He was at Monmouth and other 
battles, and suffered with the An)erican army at Valley 
Forge. He served in Gen. Sullivan's campaign against 
the Indians, upon the frontiers of Pennsylvania and 
New York in 1779. At the expiration of his term of 
enli.stment, he received an honorable discharge, being 
then but eighteen years of age. After the close of the 
war he erected a saw mill on the Kenebec river, and 
engaged in getting out ship timber. In 1788, he re- 
moved to the state of New York, and resided succes- 
sively at Utica and Cherry Valley, and in 1796 became 
one of the first settlers in the town of Eaton, Madison 
county. He afterwards became the pioneer of the cen- 
tral part of Chautau([ua county, and the founder of the 
village of Sinclairville. He brought with him $(5,000 
or $7,000, a large sum for that day, which he expended 
in building mills and making other improvements 
there, and purchasing lands, of which he in 1811 own- 
ed in Charlotte and Gerry 1530 acres. He was elected 
the first supervisor of Gerry, then comprising the pre- 
sent towns of ('harlotte, (ierry. Cherry Creek and El- 



18 History of Charlotte. 

lington, and continued its supervisor for six years. 

Major Sinclair is described by a citijcen of an adjoin- 
ing town, who knew him well, as having a command- 
ing presence, being six feet high, with a well balanced 
head, black hair and eyes, a well formed nose, a round 
chin, full lips, and a mouth of medium size;, weight 
about 225 jwunds. His voice was full and loud, and 
when he s|x>ke, always commanded attention. His ut- 
terance was rapid, but always to the purpose. His face 
was fair and full in age, and in the prime of life, he 
was a perfect man in form and feature. He possessed 
great strength and resolution, and was a natural leader 
among his fellows. His long familiarity and rough ex" 
perience in frontier life; his integrity and sound judg- 
ment, made him a respected and influential citizen, 
and enabled him to contribute much to the settlement 
of this part of the county. He drew hither many ear-, 
ly settlers, assisted them in selecting locations, in erect- 
ing their log cabins, and starting them in their wilder- 
ness homes. He was a Revolutionary pensioner. He 
married for. his second wife, Fanny, the widow of Obed 
Edson, who died in Madison county in 1804. Maj. Sin- 
clair died at Sinclairville, February 8, 1827. 

Having sold the lands previously purchased by hint 
on l'"'rench Creek in the state of Pennsylvania, Maj. 
Sinclair in the fall of 1809 stopped at the land office in 
Batavia with a view of obtaining some land, and an 
isolated mill site. Ho examined the maps, and found 
that lot 41 where Sinclairville is situated, was the locar 
tion he desired; accordingly he took an article of the 
whole of lot 41, and also of lot 63, in the town of Gerry, 
and agreed to pay therefor at the rate of twenty shil- 
lings per acre. Ufxm his return to Madison county, lie 
formed a partnership witli William Berry of that coun- 
ty, in the enterprise of settling and building mills up- 
on his claims. Berry in pursuance of the arrangement, 
came to Chautauqua county, in the fall of 1800, and in 
November of that year, he, John and Daniel Pickett, 



Ilislnnj nf ClHiilolh. Ill 

Austin and ;i hired man. pusiicd luur miles t'ui-tlicT into 
the woods south ol' the I'ickett setth'mcnl, and in three 
(lays put Uj> the Ixxly of a lo^" house. Herrv the sanu' 
■^fall returned to Madison e(»unty. 

These comprise all of the settlements made, oi at- 
tem))ted in the town of ( 'hariotte, dui'in^ the year 1805). 
By the elose of the yeai\ halt a dozen lou,' eahins had 
heen ereete<l, twenty aei'es of land had heen cleared, 
and one-half as many more had lieen chopped; tlie 
sunlio-ht had heen fairly let ii\t(» the woods- hy the axe 
of the settl(M", and a l)eoinnin,i>' made that tiave promise 
to a s))eedy settiement of the town. Many of tho.se who 
cain(> dui'ino- tije spriuii' and summer, left howev(>r in 
the fall, and oidv seven p(M'sons remained throuii'h tin- 
lirst wintt'r. Tln-y were .lohn I'ickett, Daniel Pickett, 
Hannah I'ickett his wife. Daniel and Manilla his 
two children, .\v\i\ ( ). Austin and riieiie Austin his 
wWv. Here they dwelt in this lonely wilderness, who.se 
silence dui'inii' the lonu,- and dreary winter month.s re- 
mained undisturhed, except hv the howl of the wolf 
hy niii'ht; no ro;id oi- trai'k thiouuli the snow led from 
their rude cahin to that of their near(^st nei^hhor, who 
lived miles away throuiili the woo<ls; and their cahin 
smoke, curlinii- 'M' through tlu^ tall forest trees, alone 
marked the s|)ot of their solitary home in the depths 
of the woods. 1^'ew now, with the comforts and conve- 
niences of life so much at connnand, can realize what 
diitieidties durinii- that wintei- must have beset them, 
and how seantilv their necessities and wants have been 
supplied. Tlu'i-e in the midst of the winter, on the 
2oth of January, ISIO, the first child was born in the 
town of ("harlf)tte, Pliebe Austin dau»»htei- of Arva (). 
Austin, sistei* of Alfred Au.stin of this village; she af- 
terwards became the wife of Adin Wait. 

With the sprin<; of the year ISlO, came many land 
lookers, and a c()nsideral)le number of ac-tual settlers 
here. Late in the day in the month of March of that 
year, MaJ. Sinclair and his son .John, Channcey Andrus 



20 Hiskynj of Charlotk. 

and Leman Cleland who were hired hands, Berry and 
his wife and two chiklren^ arrived at the body of the 
log house previously mentioned as having been built 
by Berry. They shoveled the snow from a large birch 
log that had been felled the fall before^ and against ife 
built a rousing fire. They then constructed a wigwam 
of poles, and placed in it plenty of hemlock brush, and 
notwithstanding the snow was quite deep, they passed 
here a comfortable and agreeable yet novel night. This 
wigwam they occupied for two days and two nights, 
and until the log house was sufficiently prepared for 
their residence. The roof they made of long shingles 
brought from the Pickett settlement. The chamber 
floor of wdiito wood bt>ards brought from Canadaway, 
The ground floor of rough boards split and hewn from 
an ash tree standing near. A hole in the roof was left 
for the smoke to escape. The house was afterwards 
made more comfortable by the construction of a chim- 
ney of sticks and stone, doors and partitions, and a lad- 
der to ascend into the chamber. This house was built 
at Sinclairville, at the intersection of the street leading 
to Charlotte Center, with the street leading to Cherry 
Creek, on the spot where now stands the residence of 
Miss Dibble. It was the first building erected in Sin- 
claii'ville, and for many years was allotted to, and occu- 
j)ied by almost every settler and his family, upon their 
first arrival at Sinclairville. In it the first schools, and 
also the first religious meetings of the town were held. 
Immediately after moving into the log house, Maj. 
Sinclair commenced clearing the land now occupied by 
and adjoining the Cemetery. During the summer oth- 
er clearing-s were made, in all seven or eight acres of 
land were this year cleared in Sinclairville. Soon after 
his arrival here, Maj. Sinclair to supply his own neces- 
sities, and the wants of the settlers that would soon be 
established in these regions, commenced constructing 
the first saw mill built in the town, and in the v.'hole 
central and eastern portion of the county. It was erect' 



Hidwij of CharUfttt. 21 

ed where the saw mill of Sainuel Briggs now stands, 
and was completed in the sunimei- of 1810. A portion 
of the remains of this dam is still visible. Maj. Sinclair 
having returned to Madison county, again on the 19th 
of September, 1810, left there with his family and live 
loads of goods and arrived at C'anadaway October 13th. 
His family remained at Canadaway, while he, with some 
hired hands, ex[)ended sixty-four day's work in cutting 
a wagon road from Canadaw^ay to Sinclai]'ville. This 
was the first wagon road constructed over the ridge in- 
to this part of the county. On the 'i'id of October Maj. 
Sinclair and his family, consistingof his children Sam- 
uel, David, Joseph, Nancy and Sally Sinclair, his wife 
Fanny and her children Obed, John M. and Fanny 
Edson, arrived at Sinclairville and moved into the log 
liouse; three or four weeks later he moved his family 
into a frame house that Mr. Nathaniel Holdridge, the 
lirst carpenter had during the fall been building for 
him, and \vhich he had then just completed. This was 
the lirst frame building erected in town, and was for 
many years afterwards the village tavern; it is still 
standing, and is used by Mr. James A. Clark as a barn. 
This frame tavern, the log house and the saw mill, were 
the only buildings erected in Sinclairville in 1810, and 
Maj. Sinclair, his family and hired help, consisting of 
about twenty persons, were all that remained in Sin- 
clairville during the winter of 1810 and 1811. Mr, Ber- 
ry not being satisfied wuth the country, had dissolved 
partnership with Maj, Sinclair, and returned with his 
family in the fall of 1810 to Madison county. 

During the summer of 1810, the woods were swarming 
with land hunters, so that Maj. Sinclair found no diffi- 
culty in raising his saw mill, by the aid of those tempo- ' 
rarily stopping at his settlement. Many of those visit- 
ing the town during this year, went away without taking 
any lands; many others booked huuls but never return- 
ed to claim them; many however became actual settlers. 

Besides the settlement at Sinclairville, and those made 



22 1 1 i.^linij o/ ( 'fi<l'i-f(iffr. 

ill tlie town the previous year, the following neSv settle- 
ments were made in 1810: Daniel Spencer upon lot 49, 
three-fourths of a mile north-west of Sinclairville; Ez- 
ra White, Lyman Doolittle and Hezekiah Broad on lot 
52, three miles north-west of Sinclairville, on the road 
to the Pickett settlement; Seth Richai-dson and family, 
John C'leland Jr. and Moses (,'leland on lot o4 near the 
Pickett settlement. John C'leland is now the oldest res- 
ident of the town. Nathaniel Holdridge from Otsego 
county, and family on lot 44, two and one-half miles 
north of Sinclairville; Joseph Devine, from Oneida 
( -ounty three-fourths of a mile north-east of Sinclair- 
ville, on lot 34; Elijah Devine from Oneida county, 
and family, between Sinclaii'ville and ('harlotte Center 
on lot 34; William Devine and family aiOharlotte Cen- 
ter as before mentioned; Leman ( 'leveland from Mad- 
ison county, thi'ee miles east of Sinclairville, on lot 10. 
Two men without families whose names are now un- 
known, on lot 2() two miles east of Sinclairville; Oeorge 
Anderson from Chenango county, and Joseph Arnold 
upon lot 02; Anderson upon the claim l)ought 'of the 
Crreggs, and Arnold upon that bought of Prioi' the year 
before. These wei-e all the settlements that had been. 
made at the close of the year 1<S10. There were then 
lo families, and about *.H) inhabitants residing ill Char- 
lotte. 

In bSlO, occnrred tlio (irstdc^aths, under circumstan- 
ces of a sad and unusual cluiracter, casting a gloom over 
the few settlers here. In Sej)tembei" of that year Mrs. 
Arnold, the wife of Joseplv Arnold, then residing in the 
Pickett settlement died; on tlie following day her sister 
Jerusha Barras also died. J'hey were buried in one 
grave. The place of burial was marked and is still to 
be seen near tlie road side on the farm of Chauncey 
Pierpont, on lot (52. In September or October, was born 
Jefferson Richardson, the first male child born in the 
town. 

in the year 1811, MaJ. Sinclair built at Sinclairville 



Hixfori/ of ( 'harlotff. 2?> 

the first grist jnill erected in all this part of the coun- 
tv: tho remains of its old dam, as well as the one built 
n few years latei- may still ht* seen. In the summer, 
Barney Cole died and was i)uried in the graveyard at 
Charlotte Outer, lie was the tirsi male person who 
die<l in the town. In the fall. Moses Cleland was mar- 
)-ied to Sally Amlerson at the hou.^e of George Ander- 
son, Ity the Rev. .John Speneer: this was the fii-st niar- 
i-jage eelebi'ated in the town. This year many land 
lookers eame here, but not m<tr«' than in liSlU. The 
prospect »>f a war with Enuland rather im])eded the 
jush of settlei-s: yet the town [cceiviMl so\\\p new acces- 
sions, among them Alnani Winsor a l>rother-in-law of 
Maj. Sinclaii'. from Madison county. In Marcii Nathan 
and Oliver Cleland, brothers of .John Cleland -Ir.. and 
ni ihc fall. Samuel anothei- biorher. with their father 
John ( 'leland. came and settled upon lot 54. TJje Cle- 
land l)roth<;rs ai'e living, aged as tbllows: Samuel 88 
years. .]ohu 84, Oliver S'i and Nathan Sj. Samuel, John 
and Natiian still live in t(»wn. veneiable and respected 
citizens. Many of their des(en<lants reside here. Joel 
Burnoll from Massaciui.setts. this ycai- settled upon lot 
•JC). Ih" was afterwai'ds a leading citi/en, and for several 
years an a.ssociate Judge of the county court, and also 
for many years a local preacher of the M. E. Church. 
His son Madison was born in ( -harlotte in 1812. He, 
with only a limitnl education obtained in schools held 
in a log school house of his native town, without the 
aid of wealth oi- the influence of powerful friends, but 
by his talents and integrity, and by the fearlessness and 
fidelity with which he nuiintained every cause which he 
espoused, obtained univei'sal confidence and respect,and 
Vjecame one of the most distinguished lawyers of West- 
ern New York. It is related that the Fourth of July 
was duly ob.served in 1811 at Sinclairvillc. Maj. Sin- 
clair entertained all the people in his vicinity at dinner, 
and a .sycamore tree was loaded with gunpowder and 
fired as a substitute for a cannon 



24 lii^dnij of ( 'liarfofti. 

June Lst, 1812, a Jicw town c(»ui])()s<.'(i of tJre ])ro!seiit 
towns of Chai'lotte, (Icnv, ('lienv ('reck aDfl El]iii<it<)n, 
was formed froDi flic town of Fomfrct. A meeting was 
lield at the liouse of Otlicllo ("liurcli al Cassadaga, for 
the purpose of gi villi;- it a name, .^hlny favored calling- 
it Sinclair, after Maj. Sinclaii-; others calling it (icrry," 
after Ell)i'i(lge Gerrv, who was elected the fall of that 
yeai' \"ice President of (lie United States; the lattei" 
name was finally adopted. 'I'lie fii'st town meeting for 
(Jerry was held on tlif first Tuesday of A]).ril, I8I0, at 
the house of MaJ. Sinclair in Sinchiirville. At this 
meeting Rohert W. Seaver was chosen moderator, Ezra 
White clerk, and Maj. Sinclair th(> fii'st Supervisor. It 
appears hy tJie i-ecords of this meeting, that unusual 
privileges were extended lo swine. Tliey were declared 
to be free commoners, if pi-ovided with suital)le yokes? 
while wolves weic- less fa\-oi-ed. and a hounty of hve dol- 
lars otl'ei'ed for evei-y one killed or caught within the 
limits of the town. To secure the opening of the I'oads 
to a [>ro]K'r width, it was cnacie<l in these words: "Ox 
sleds to he I'oui' feel in width; penalty foi' being catched 
on the highway, with an ox sleil less than four feet 
wide, five dollars." During a nunil)ei' of years suhse- 
quenttothe oi-gani/ation of (iei'ry, Maj. Sinclair was 
the only fi'eeholder in all the town, and after each elec- 
tion of town ofticers, he was accustomed to execute M'ith- 
out consideration, a deed of some small ])ortion of his 
land to such othcei's tlei-ted as wei-e required hy law to 
he freeholders. ( >n one occasion Judge Joel Burnelb 
after a warm contest was elected over him to the office 
of Su])ervisor, and Ahij. Sinclair, to enal)le him to hold 
the othce executed such deed to him. . 

June 1(S, 1S12, war was declared against England. — 
iMany of the settlers of Charlotte participated in it du- 
ring its continuance. Daniel Spencei-,a young man re- 
siding in ( 'harlotte, iu;ai- Sinclairville, was killed at the 
battle of (^ueenstown, on the loth of ( )ctober, 1812. He 
was pi'ol)ably a niendicr ol ("apt. Jehial Moore's Cliau- 



//i.stori/ nf ( 'luirlnth . 2.^ 

tauquH coniiuiiiy. wliieli Ix-lon^ctl t<» \\\o \S{\\ N. \. de- 
tiu-lied militia, c-nimuaiK.K'd bv Col. Uu^li W. l)(»l)ltiii. lie 
cro.ssc'il the Xiaj^ara livnr witli the Aiiierieaii loree, and 
wa;? of the ))artv who stoiiiied the heights of <.^uceii.s- 
tovvii, and was killed on the l>i(jw of tlK> hill. Me wa.s 
one; of the very lii>;t to fall in the hattle. (ioodi'ieh, a- 
young man in tin' employ of .Maj. Sinelaii'. read at night 
the [)i'oelamation of < 'ommodoif I'crry asking foi' assist- 
ance, and the ne.xt iiM»rning stai-ted from Sinclairville 
to join him; he cidisted, pai'ticipated in the naval battle 
on Lake JM'ie, ofthe lOth of ScplciiilxM-, iSl;!. was dis- 
linguisht'd for his gjdlant condurt. ami was rewarded 
therefor, lie returned afterwards lo Sinelaii'ville, with 
his liearing mueh impaired fiom his paitieipation in 
the battle. In l)eeend)er. isj:;, the l»)2d regiment of 
Chautauqua eounty militia, undei- ( 'oi. MeMahan, were 
called out rnmds.sr. to .lefend liuilalo. Several of the 
inhabitants of ( 'barlotte. who belonged to this regiment 
mai-cbed with it. and participated in the disastrous af- 
fair on the iJOtli of l)ecend»er. bsl;!, when Kulfalo was 
burned. The following are their names; V/ava White' 
.\brani Winsor. -loel Kurnell. Arva ( ). .Vustin. John 
l^iekett, Seely Pickett, .h.. Sanniel T. IJootli and Samuel 
\'aughn. Of the Chautau<pia county troops called out 
dui-ing the summer of \\\v succei'ding year, and assem- 
bled at P>lack Koek, lUillalo and vicinity, to a.ssist in de- 
fending the frontier, man\ were from Cbai'lotte. Near- 
ly all the able bodied men residing in the town, of suf- 
licient age, at sometime during the war, went u])on the 
lines. It is said that in the as.sault ujton Kort b^rie, 
that when the tenitic exj)l()sion took [)lace that carried 
away tiie l)astion. the light was s(H'n by Maj. Sinclair at 
Sinelairville. ami he was enabled to predict the occur- 
rence of .some catastro[)he, long before the [jarticulars 
reached Sinclairvilh'. 

During the three years pieceding the war, the town 
rapidly increased in po|)ulalion. During the war it 
steadily deci-eased ; a few new .settlers came, but more 



2f> Hidorfi of (Jfiarfofti . 

went away: some on acconnt of a|)).)iclK'nded dangers 
iVoin the Indians, oIIkm's to go on to tlie lines as soldiers . 
or camp followers. The retuin of peace revived the 
liopes, and renewed the coura,ge of the settlers. They 
anticipated new accessions to their numbers, and a speedy 
return to the abandoned clearings by those who had 
left during the war, to resume the work of settlement. 
In this they were doomed to disappointment; the Hol- 
land Land (Jompaiiy sohl their lands foi- two dollai'S 
and fifty cents and tlirec dollais iinacic. upon a credit; 
while g^ovei'umenl and othci' lands wei-e sohl at a less 
price for cash. Hence those who had means and were 
able to pay down for thoir I'arnis. sought fairer liomes 
among the fertile prairies and openings (tf Ohio and 
other parts of the West. ( onsecjuently the Holland 
Purchase, and particularly the county of Chautauqua^ 
was settled by the v(!i-v poorest class of men. l"'he most 
of those who came, cxpen(hMl Ihoirlast doharin pi'ocu- 
ring the article foi- their land, ami had to pay with their 
labor for the hrst l:)uslu;l of corn oi' potatot>s that their 
family used. Theie was no real wealth in thiM-ountv- 
rhe close of the wai* lendered worthless the Hood of 
shin})lasters that had been put in circulation ; the ori- 
ginal debt to the Holland Company for the land in most 
instances remained unpaid, with the interest steadily 
accumulating, (onse([uently hard tinu's followed. — 
.\n)ong the few who came during the war or immedi- 
ately thert>after, were Keuhen >Scott, Samuel Rrunson, 
du^ first blacksmith, ( 'hai'les JSniith fi'om Canada, the 
lii-st sluHimaker, and in ISIU, from Jefl'erson county, 
Nathaniel Johnson, the first miller, and father of Mrs, 
8. L. Hender-son, all of whom settled in Sinclairville.. 
Edwartl Dalrymple came in from Washington county 
in 1815, and .settled upon lot ()4. Freeman Ellis came 
in early,and settled on the same lot. Sylvanus L. Hender- 
son from .Jeli'erson county, a soldier of the war of 1812, 
and the fatlier of W. W. Henderson of Siiudairville, 
settled in that village in 181 (>. At that time there were 



nislfiri/ nf (,'li(ir/(>lt( . 27 

four families residing in tiuit part of Siiicluirvillc situ- 
ated ill the town of Charlolte, to wit: Major Sin dear's, 
Samuel Brunsoii's,Nathaniel Joinisoii's,aiid Abram Win- 
sor's. There wci'e thirty- one inliahitants in this part of 
the village. There was a frame tavern, grist mill, dwell- 
ing house, store and barn, two log dwelling houses, a 
log blaeksmith sliop, a log shoe shop and an aslicry; 
ten buildings in all. About twenty-live aeres of land 
was then cleared witlnn tiie boundaries of the village. 

Be.sidcs the hard times that followed the declaration 
of war, the settlers ex|)erienced other calamities. The 
summci" of LSlb was kimwn all through the Holland 
Purchase as the " cold season." The extraoi'dinary frost 
and cold of that yeai- occasioned the entire failure of 
the crop of coi-n upon which all mo.st I'clied. The suc- 
ceeding year was con,se(]ueHtly remarkable as one of 
great .scarcity, and might alniust be termed the " star- 
ving season." All suirere<l from the extreme scarcity 
of provisions in ("harlotte. Flour was eighteen dollars 
per barrel, poi-kand other articles in proportion. Some 
of the settl-ers of this town were compelled, before the 
arrival of summer, from want, to dig up and use for 
food the potatoes they had [)lante(l in the spring of that 
year. Others until harvest, subsisted upon fish, milk, 
greens, and leeks. The purchase of several loads of 
corn of the Indians on the Alleghany river, at twenty 
shillings a bushel, partially relieved their wants. 

The high cold lands of Charlotte, and the adjoining 
hill towns, did not yield so quick and large a return as 
that portion of the county lying along the lake, which 
was adapted to the raisijig of grain, and their stinted 
crops for many years found no mai'ket whatever. The 
only i-esoui'ce of the settlers hei'c, was from the manu- 
facture of Idack salts of lye. From the products of a 
dairy for a single year, more is now undoubtedly real- 
ized than from the sale of all the black salts made in 
the town, during the same length of time; yet its settle- 
ment would have been posti»oned for many years, had 



2<S Jlixlonj i>l ( 'li(iil(>((( . 

it not been for this coiniiioclitv. It was the chief staplf 
of the hill towii.s during the hrst thirty years of their 
history, and was the only ])rodiu-t that could be sold for 
cash, and was sure to l)e received in exchaji^e for f2;oods 
and ^I'oceries. It was made from the ashes of the oak, 
ma}»le, beech and other liard wood, which were gather- 
ed in boxes, in the fallows where the limber was burn- 
ed, and cairied by hand to rou.u'h leaches, usually made 
of bark, erected at a convenient place foi' water. The 
lye of these ashes was I'oiled in kettles, until it became 
a semi solid, Mdiich was called black salts. All of these 
made in Chai'lotte i)i'evi(>us to the war were sold at 
Mayville and Fi'edonia. In ISri, Captain Winsor built 
an ashery at Sinclairvillc near the lower saw mill, and 
he foi- many yeai's theieaftei- manufactured the black 
salts made in this section into pot aiul })earl-ash. Capt. 
Winsor was accustomed to transpoi't his jtotsand pearls 
thus made, to the hmdinii ))lace(>n the('assada.£^a creek, 
west of where the Methodist uieetin.o- house formerly 
stood on lot .l;') in the town of (Tcriy. and y)ut tliem 
aboard (»f his batteaux, and ship them to Pittsburiih. 
Tie would hrinii hack fi-oni ri.ttsl»ui.iih lobat-co. ijlass. 
nails and flour, whieh he at first delivei-ed to his custo- 
mers at Ross's Mills, in ICllieott. About the year .1817. 
he established the tii-st store in Sinclairville. and for a 
short time kept a limited stoc-k of yoods. mostly pur- 
chased at rittsl)uri;h. Sinclaii-vill(^ continued until 
about the yea I' LS4~). to ite an important point for the 
manufa(?ture of |>ot and ])eaj'!-ash. Every merchant 
besides his store, was accustonu'(l to have an ashery, 
where he received of liis customers black salts and ash- 
es, which he paid for in goods and money. There were 
sometimes three or four asheries in Sinclairville, using 
thirty thousaiul bushels of ashes annually, besides the 
black salts that were purchased by them. Subse(|uent 
to the yeai" 1824, pot and })ea]-l-ashes were sent by the 
merchants to Montreal, and in later years to New York, 
where tlH\v received for them Bills of Exchange on New 



History of Charlotte. I'W 

York and J.nndoii. which allorded them about the only 
jiieans t<» pay tor their .stock of tjoods. 

With the hip:3e of a little time from the close of the 
war, the town bej^an slowly to improve, and received 
some new comers. About the year LS17, the first saw- 
mi 11 was erected at Charlotte Center. At an early day 
a shop was built there upon Mill creek, by Edward 
Landa.s, for wool c<irding and cloth dressing. It was 
afterwards succes-sively u.sed as a pail factory, turning 
sji»»p. and wuod niill mauufactory. In lS17..Iohn How- 
ard came in from Massaeiiusetts, and made the first set- 
tlement in tlip south-east jiart of the town, on lot 1. The 
same year Abel PoIhm- came to Sinclairville, from Otse- 
go county. The lollowing year Th«)mas Lord. He was 
the first tanner. In I.Sli». Bela B. Ix)rd and Horace 
Pottc]-. also from Otsc^go county came, and soon Al)el 
Totter, wiio built the tiist tannery near where M. B. 
(raw now resides, and which w;u^ afterwards carried on 
))y Thomas Lord, and Abel, and Horace Potter. Ezra 
Richmond, from Windham county, X'ermont. came in 
lsl7. and settled upon lot .">>. The fir.st people who came 
to r'harlotte to reside, from a foreign land were Eng- 
lishmen. Saniuel Hurlev was the pioneer. He came 
as early as 1817. aii<l in 1810 settled upon lot 2o. Abra- 
ham Reyiudfls. the father of our townsman Henry Rey- 
nolds came next, <lircct from London in 1811), and set- 
tled upon lot 2<». Twice he walked from Charlotte to 
.\ew York. Robert LeGrys, fiom England, also came 
in lSp.>. .Jonas 8liurtleff and Justus Torry came from 
<ienesee county in 1810. Torry .settled upon h^t 18. — 
He chopped and cleared with his(»wn hands, over three 
hundred acres of land, and made in early yeai's more 
than two tons of ma[)le sugar annually. The same year 
Peter Warren frotn Madison county, the father of Judge 
E. F. Warren, settled upon lot o'i. The widow Lemira 
W. Camp from Saratoga county, with her family, in 
1810, settled upon lot 17; she had been preceded by her 
son Samuel. Her .sons Milo. Wilson and Herman, and 



30 History of ('kaduik. 

son-in-law Wm. M. Wagoner, were vvoll known citizens, 
and arc remembered for their energy and enterprise. 
In 1821, Nathan Lake and his brother Calvin from 
Windham county, Vermont, settled on the street lead- 
ing east from Charlotte Center, upon lot 20; and a few 
years later his brothers Daniel B. and Luther Lake set- 
tled upon the same street, and that neighborhood for 
many years thereafter, was well known as the Lake set- 
tlement. Nathaii Lake was the first supervisor of the 
town of Cliarlotte. In 1823, Caleb Clark and Or ton 
Clark, from Otsego county, settled on lot 47. In 1825, 
Chester Lyman settled on lot 40. 

The names that have l3cen thus far mentioned, com- 
prise the most of those that were best known among 
the settlers of the town, [)rior to the resumption of spe- 
cie payments, and the completion of the Erie Canal; — 
(lal<ti tlial doxc the Irac pinncn- /lititory of tlw tmmi. Tlie 
people who settled here befoj'c those events, were fron- 
tiersmen. I'hey came mostly fi'om the western borders 
of the then more settled jiortions of the state of New 
York. The rough business of felling the heavily tini- 
4)ered forests, and cleai'ing the land, offered no allure- 
ments to the weak and timorous. Robust and 'stalwart 
men, with strong and ])ractical ininds generally came 
to the Holland Purcluise. They brought with them lit- 
tle skill in husbandry, for the gift jeipusite was that of 
the woodsman. The rough, hearty ways of the pioneer 
had not then yielded to the more conventional, but not 
more genuine manners of the farmer who followed him. 
Before those events the land was not sufficiently sub- 
dued to yield crops or fruit, in only small amounts; 
consequently the scythe and plow remained the year 
round exposed to rust and weather; the axe and rifle 
however were kept in order, and wlien not in use wore 
conspicuously disj)layed. 

In those early years tlie bid)its and maimers of the 
people coi'responded with their I'ough pursuits and sur- 
roundings. Their reei'ontions <'onsis(ed in out door 



Ifisfitr,/ nf (liarlnffr ?>1 

Sports, such as a vip)rous and athletic people always flc- 
light in. Wrestling was a pojmlar amusement, and 
was universally practiced on raisinji, training and elec- 
tion daj's, and other occasions when the people assem- 
bled. Game was abundant in the ^'oods, and trout plen- 
ty in all the streams. Hunting wasconsequently much 
followed. The rifle was found in eveiy cabin, and its 
use was familiar to all from youth up. Its owner pos- 
sessed a steady nerve and quick eye. Venison was de- 
pended upon as an article of food, and deer hunting 
pursued as a labor of necessity, as well as a favorite di- 
version. In the winter deer were tracked through the 
snow and shot. In the summer they were killed while 
drinking at their licks of brackish water. Deer ceased 
to be plenty about 1835, but have been killed as late as 
1844. There were many bears in the adjacent swamps, 
and occajsionally, one was. caught in early years, in 
strong steel traps, or by dead-falls as they were called, 
and sometimes shot with the rifle. John Cleland killed 
the first bears that were killed in the town by a white 
man. Wolves preyed upon the sheep and smaller ani- 
mals. These multiplied at first, with the settlement of 
the county. The Cassadaga valley, or swamp, as it was 
then called, bordered along the western edge of the 
town, and was here many miles in extent, untraversed 
by roads, and unbroken by clearings, but covered with 
a dark and dense forest of evergreens, filled with thick 
underbrush. For many years after the first settlement, 
the bear, wolf, and wild cat lurked among its dark thick- 
ets, and there securely made their lair. Often would 
the wolf sally forth to make a midnight banquet at the 
neighboring sheep-folds, and return at the break of day 
and hide himself among the thick alders and tamq- 
racks of the swamp. For a long time great havoc was 
made with thesheepof the townsadjacentto theswanif); 
sometimes a whole flock would be destroyed in a single 
night. The annoyance at length became so intolerable, 
that measures were resolved upon to exterminate them, 



82 History of Charlotte. 

resulting in the years commencing with 1824, and end- 
ing with 1828, in a series of four wolf hunts, which were 
participated in by a large portion of the inhabitants of 
the northern and interior towns of the county. The 
interest and importance attaching to these hunts, well 
entitle them to a separate and full description would 
time allow. * Many wolves, bears and other wild ani- 
mals were destroyed, and as a final result the wolf wa,"^ 

*Thc following description of a wolf hunt is from the 
pen of Mr. Judge L. IJugboc, of Stockton : 

"The battle ground wus selected nearly oust of the fork 
of the Cassadaga and Bear creeks. The i)lan of battle was 
a simultaneous attack upon all sides of tlie swamp at once. 
On the east the line was formed on the town line, between 
Stockton and Charlotte; on tlic nortli ]>y the line of lots 
near Cooper's mill; on the west by the Cassadaga creek. 
and on the south by another line of lots near the swamp 
road, east of the residence of Alicl Brunson. The ground 
was prepared under the supervision of Col. Charles Hay- 
wood, of Eller3', assisted ])y Return Tabor. Bel;i Todd, 
and Royal Putnam. 'J'hesc lines were rendered very plain 
by blazing trees and lopping brush. 

"By previous arrangement, the forces met on the second 
day of October, 1824. The north line of atta(;k was com- 
manded by Gen. Leverett Barker, of Frcdonia. assisted by 
P^lijah Rislcy and Walter Smitli as lieutenants. Col. Obed 
Edson, of Sinclairville, witli Judge J . M . Hdson and Joy 
Handy, commanded the east division, Major Asael Lyon 
and Gen. George T. Camp on the west, and Col. Chnrles 
Haywood on the south, with Klius Clark, of Kllery. as his 
lieutenant. I'hcsc commanders all wore pistols in their 
belts to designate tlieir office, and were assisted by the 
four men as guides, who had prepaied the lines a short 
time before. Before going into the swamj), each division 
had chosen its i)lace of rendezvous: The east at Sinclair- 
ville. the north at Cassadaga village, the west at Delanti. 
and the south at the residence of Neweli Putnam, Esq.. in 
the south part of Stockton. Dr. Waterman KUswoith, of 
Delanti, was the captain of the men from Stockton, and 
very active in getting u[) the 'hunt.' 

"Early in the foicnoon the men were all uj)on the ground, 
forming a continuous line and encircling a goodly portion 
of the swamj). Mr. Royal Putnam, who assisted i mark- 
ing the lines on all sides, thinks the square was full one 
nnle and a half upon each side. The number of men on 
the lines were sufficient to be within easy speaking distance 
from each other. The signal fur advance was ' Boaz,' be- 



History of Charf.utfr. 33 

nearly exterminated. The last wolf that frc(]uented 
the town of Charlotte, was killed in February, 1841. — 
It having killed a Hock of 12 sheep belonging to Mr. 
Hunter in the Conewango valley, and being pursued by 
him, fled into the wilderness country in the north-east 
part of Charlotte, from which point it visited the sheep-, 
folds in the Lake settlement, killing in one night two 
sheep of D. J. Quackenbush,and one of Daniel B. Lake. 
It was immediately pursued by Mr. Lake and others, 

ing given by Gen. Barker, and as it returned, the lines 
moved forward in splendid order, growing moie compact 
until they arrived on the battle grounds, forming a square 
about one mile in ch'cumfercncc, or eighty rods on a side. 
No man was to Hrc his gun until he received the pass-word 
from the general, and it was known that the lines were 
elosed up. The men now stood shoulder to shoulder. — 
' Jachin,' the pass-word, (piickly made its round, and the 
signal gun was discharged, and in a moment the firing be 
t-amc general. After tlie first discharge of lirc-arms the 
doer and rabbits within the lines became frantic with fright, 
making the rounds and seeking an opening througli wliich 
to escape. One stately buck, making the rounds, gallant- 
ly charged the line, l)y forcing his head between the legs 
of Charles P. Young, from Ellery, and carrying him scve 
ral rods astride liis neck, then bounding away, unharmed, 
into the free wilderness, save perhaps a few sore ribs, from 
the numerous punches received b\ the muskets in the hands 
of the men. before they had time to reload their pieces. — 
After all the game had been disi)atched that could be seen, 
a committee of three or more was sent within the enclo- 
sure, to search under old logs and fallen trees to ascertain 
if any game had fied to any of these places for safety. — 
Dr. Ellsworth is the only man remembered :is being upon 
that committee. 

"After the return of the connnittee, themen, l')}* orders, 
moved towards the center of the inclosure, bringing in the 
game, consisting of two large wolves, one bear, several 
deer and a large number of ra])l)ils. The men were evi- 
dently disappointed in the number of wolves captured. l)ut 
after speeches from a numl)er of the officers, the woods 
rang with their hearty cheers, and they resolved for anoth- 
er hunt, which took place in about three weeks. 

"The county had offered a large bounty for the scalp of 
the wolf, fifty dollars or upward, and by resolution, Gen. 
Barker. Elijah Risley and Walter Smith were elected a com- 
mittee to forward the scalps, and obtain the mono;, and 
expend it in ammunition, provision and whisky to assist 
the men in future hunts." 



34 History of Chorfoffe. 

but the next night it again visited the flock of Mr. Lake, 
and killed another of his sheep; from this time forward, 
its track was followed night and day by men chosen for 
the purpose, who would at intervals blow upon horns, 
to indicate the direction of its travels, and guide the 
people in the pursuit. It was hunted thirty-(tne days, 
and finally killed in the eastern part of Cattaraugus 
county. It was afterwards exhibited through the town 
of Charlotte. Besides the deer, wolf, bear, wild-cat, and 
an occasional panther, that would sometimes stray into 
the town, in early years, the wild turkey as late at least 
as 1832, and the pine martin and otter, as late as 1825, 
inhabited the woods. 

Among the early events long remembered, and that 
produced great excitement in this then thinly settled 
region, was when children were lost in the woods. On 
these occasions, the settlers would rally from far and 
near, organize themselves into companies, choose their 
leaders, enter the woods with each man properly posted, 
and make a systematic and faithful search, until the 
lost one was found. In early years Baluma Shurtleff, 
afterwards the wife of Nathan Lee, was lost in the woods 
near Sinclairville. There was a general gathering and 
a thorough search. For three days she subsisted on 
berries. She was finally found in the eastern part of 
the town. Mrs. Unclerhill while picking blackberries 
in the western part of the town, wandered to the edge 
of the Cassadaga swamp, and lost lier way. She re- 
mained in the woods three nights. A regular search 
was instituted by many people. She was found on the 
fourth day by Wilson Camp. 

These incidents serve to show the lively sympathy 
that existed among the early settlers. Isolated in a dis- 
tant wilderness, surrounded by common hardships, i)ar- 
ticipating in the same simple enjoyments, and living 
upon a complete social equality caused true friendship 
and genuine benevolence to be cultivated among them. 
Their charitv was not maniff'sted in cold ostentatioL 





^*'' '*«tmn4 



H i I ii <t i» 









G^t,<^ <.fc.^^tv»*_ 



4. 



Hidorif of Hhdrloth. .^r» 

displays of liberality, without icclini; any real interest 
in the subject of their bcneliccnce. Nor was it that un- 
accountable tenderness that descries distress in the dis- 
tance only, and that bestows its bounties afar off. It 
was the unaffected and p;enuine charity taught in. the 
scripture. Tlicy would fhcmschcs repair to tlie cabin of 
their destitute ncighhw, and with their own hands, and 
with real kindness, relieve his distress and administer 
to his wants. If the alHictions they sought to relieve 
were the result of what they termed shiftlessness, n\- 
tcmperance, or other fault, tliey would with their char- 
ity administer a just rebuke, and endeavor to correct 
the fault by a plain and wholesome reprimand. Hu- 
manity was the distin]c;uishing trait, exhibited often it 
is true, in the rough manner peculiar to the pioneer. — 
The new comer was always greeted with a cordial wel- 
come. No unjust or disparaging reflections were in- 
dulged in, but he wiis received as an equal, and assum- 
ed to be in every way worthy, until found otherwise. — 
All lent him a helping hand to assist him to build his 
cabin, and make his first clearing; and often did it hap- 
pen, that men of a doubtful character, who would set- 
tle among them, by this fair and generous treatment 
were made good citizens, and maintained ever thereaf- 
ter fair characters. 

The Erie Canal, which was commenced July 4, 1817, 
wjis completed October 26, 1825. Before that event, 
there was no market for anything that the people could 
produce, except black salts and also lumber when trans- 
ported down the Allegany river, and there sold at low 
prices. Wheat sold for 37 J cents per bushel, in the 
limited markets afibrdod by the insignificant villages 
of the county; land bore but a nominal price. Yet the 
settler with great self denial, and unexampled indu.s- 
try, in almost every instance, could not even pay the 
interest on the small sum due at the land office, which 
steadily increased before him. 

The resumption of specie ]>ayments,and the opejiing 



36 History of (J/iarfoffr. 

of the Erie Canal, wrought a great change. This west- 
ern country was brought by the canal directly in com- 
munication with the east, and the settlers thereafter 
found a market for much that before had no value. — 
They were for the first time able to supply themselves 
with the conveniences of life. A hundred large and 
prosperous villages sprang up in Western New York, 
and a score of great cities were ultimately founded 
along our western lakes, and millions of peo})le reside 
along their borders, all due to the constrnction of the 
Erie Canal. 

The advantages to be derived from the canal were an- 
ticipated, and business began to thrive before its com- 
pletion. About the year 1824 Walter Smith and George 
A. French opened a store at Sinclairville, and engaged 
in considerable trade. Many settlers came in 1824 and 
1825, and they began to feel that its increasing popula- 
tion required the erection of a hew town, and accord- 
ingly, on the 1st day of April 1824, the town of Elling- 
ton, which included the pi*esent towns of Ellington and 
(■herry Creek, was taken from tlie old town of Gerry; 
and five years later Gerry was again sub-divided. On 
the 29th day of April, 1829, its nortliern half was erect- 
ed into a new town. At a meeting held at Charlotte 
('enter, at the house of David Randall, in deference to 
the suggestion of Mi-. Randall, it was decided to name 
the new town Charlotte. It was so called from the town 
of Charlotte on Lake Champlain, in Chittenden coun- 
ty, Vermont. 

The first meeting for the new town, was held at the 
house of Mr. Randall at Charlotte Center, on the 2d day 
of March, 1830. Nathan Lake was the presiding jus- 
tice, and Peter Warren secretary. The following were 
the officers chosen for the principal offices : Nathan 
Lake supervisor, Walter Chester town clerk, John M. 
Edson, Adna Lampson and James S. Parkhurst Justices 
of the i>eace, and Barzilla Ellis collector. The popula- 
tion of Charlotte as appears by the census taken in 1830, 



Jlidorij of (Jhar/otfc. 37 

had considerably increased, and was 88<). 

The greatly increased number of people who annu- 
ally settled ni the town, after the construction of the 
Eric canal, prevent the mention of but a few of the 
earlier ones, who now have descendants there. 

Among those who settled in the nmih and north-western 
\ydrt of the town, were Eliakim Barnum, Jacob Hall the 
lather of Dr. H. P. Hall, John Hall, David Hall the fa- 
ther of Wm. Hall of California, James (-ross, David 
Ames, Ebenczer Skinner, Adin Wait, Elijah Montague 
and Ambrose Horton. Peter 13. Landas early came 
from France, and settled on lot G4. He was followed 
by John B. Cardot, and Mr. Gillett, also from France. 
Afterwards there came in later years many other res- 
pectable families from that country, who generally set- 
tled in this part of the town. 

Kent Street, and the adjacent territory, were tirst settled 
by families from the south of England. Besides the 
Englishmen before mentioned who early settled in the 
town, there came John Thorn in 1834. John Reed the 
father of our townsmen William and Richard Reed, 
and father-in-law of Thomas Thompson, came in 1834. 
Richard Brock and Thomas D. Spiking came later. — 
The street leading from Charlotte CenU-r north to the town 
of Arkwright, was also largely .settled by Englishmen 
wholly from Yorkshire, in the north of England. — 
Tbomas Pear.son father of John Pearson of Sinclairville, 
.William Wright and their families, and Thomas Dick- 
inson, came over in one ship from Hull, and settled on 
this street in 1828. Matthew Freer settled on this street 
tbe .same year, and \Villiam Hilton in 1830. These 
FOnglishmen, their (k\scendants, and others who came 
still later from that countiy, constitute a large portion 
of the po{)ulation of the town; much lai'gcr than rep- 
resent any other foreign country. They are among the 
most intelligent and substantial citizens of the town. 

Among those who settled in the south-east part of the 
town, were David Sheldon IVom Monroe couniyin 1828 



S8 History of Chnrfofte. 

Robert P. Robertson, Robert Robertson and Peter Rob- 
ertson, John Maynard, Andrew McCutchcon, Aaron 
McCutcbeon, John Luce and James Parsons. The Tor- 
ry cheese factory was built in this part of the town in 
the spring of 1876. 

The north-east part of the town remained a wilderness 
later than any other. Alan son Straight was the first to 
settle there and commence improvements. Nelson 
Chase came next, and a little later in the same year, 
Nathan Penhallow. Daniel Hoisington, William Luoe^ 
James P. Skiff, Hiram and Arba P. Straight, Wm. W. 
Rood, Elijah Lewis, Calvin Abbey, Neri Crampton, O. 
R. Matliowson, Asa Morse, Peter Odell and Nelson 
Mansfield, were all early settlers in this part of the 
town. In 1839, James Hopkins, Patrick Doran and 
Garrett Wheeler, from the west of Ireland settled there. 
John Wilkes built the first saw mill in 1865. A cheese 
factory was built in 1873, near the residence of Miv. 
A. J. Rood. 

Charlotte Center and mcinity continued to receive new 
settlers, among wliom were Stephen Lyman, the father 
of Perry Lyman of Sinclaii'ville, and brother-in-law of 
Mnj. Sinclair. David Randall, Thomas J. Allen, Ijcster 
Young and Charles Fox were early settlers. Peter Rose 
was born in Scotland. He served with the English ar- 
my at Cape Good Hope in Africa, and dui'ing Napole- 
on's wars, and also was in the l^attle of New Orleans, in 
the army of Gen. Packenham. He after the expiration, 
of his term of s(!i"vice, came to Cliai'lotte and settled 
there. James Houston from Ireland, early settled in 
Charlotte. Blythe Harper came next, and in 1838 his 
uncle Hugh Harper from the county of Donegal, Ire- 
land, settled a little south of Charlotte t'enter. A few 
years later, William H irper the brother of Hugh came, 
followed by Thomas and John Erwin from that coun- 
try. These and othei^s from Ireland, who settled in 
other parts, have numerous and respectable descendants 
now living in the town. Ahout 18.51, Joseph Landas 



Hidorii of ClwrhUt. 39 

built and opened tlie Hist store at (^liailotte Center, 
although others for brief periods, lu«d sold there limited 
amounts of merchandise. In 1865>, a steam saw mill 
was erected bv Addison Lake and Edmund E. Tuttle. 
The Charlotte Center (.'heese Factoiv was erected bv 
the farmers of that vicinity in 1.SH8. The population 
of Charlotte Center in J87(> was lOo, and according to 
the census taken in 1875 it was 120. 

SinclairviUe and the moih-urdeni part of the town, also 
continued to receive new accessions. Asa Dunbar from 
Chenango county, in 1828, Bela Tracy, a brother of 
John Tracy formerly lieutenant-governor of this state, 
James Williams, Philip Link, Henry Cipperly, Wm. H- 
(xleason, William Brown, Nathan Lee, Henry Somber- 
gcr. Moses Campbell. Abel White father of O. A. White, 
formerly superintendent of schools in Chautauqua coun- 
ty, and now of Norwalk, Ohio, and Samuel F. Forbush, 
all settled in the south-west part. (Chester Wilson, the 
first Sadler and harness maker, and father of W. Thos. 
Wilson Esq., long a justice of sessions of the county, 
early settled in Sinclairville. Isaac Newton, Richard 
D. Sherman, Sylvanus Pickard, James Elliott, David 
Cobb, Elias S. Hedge.s, formerly exten.sively engaged in 
business as a tanner, all settled in Sinclairville. Par- 
don Sennett also, who many years ago erected a foun- 
dry there, and Chester Cole the first hatter. Forbes 
Johnson, son of Nathaniel Johnson, a member of the 
legislature in 1844, was for many years a resident of 
Sinclairville. The first German who came to Charlotte 
wa« William Heppner; he settled in Sinclairville in 
1853. His brother Ernest came in 1854. They were 
followed in later years by many other worthy German 
families, who generally settled in Sinclairville. These 
Germans are industrious and law-abiding citizens, and 
now form a considerable portion of the p)opulation of 
the village. A few families from Sweden are now set- 
tled in the town. Peter John.son,a tailor, who came to 
Sinclairville a little previous to the late civil war is be- 



40 Hi do I'll of ('finrfoffr. 

lieved to be the tirst. 

Albert Richmond, who came to Sinclairville in Au- 
gust 1833, was the first attoiney-at-law. He was during 
four years, commencing January 1855, surrogate of the 
county. S. Mervin Smith, E. B. Forbush, E. M. Peck 
and E. H. Sears were early attorneys residing at Sin- 
clairville. James A. Allen, now of Buffalo, and Wor- 
thy Putnam of Berrien Springs, Mich., were attorney's 
of a later date. 

Dr. Orange G. (/ampbell was the first physician. — 
Among the older physicians of Sinclairville were Dr„ 
Henry Sargent, H. B. Hedges, J. E. Kimbal, Gilbert 
Richmond, G. S. Harrison and A. P. Aumock, all of 
whom were successful, and widely known through the 
county. 

Samuel Sinclair, Jonathan Hedges a large land own- 
er in Sinclairville, and well known citizen, John Love, 
Elias Wheeler and Jarvis B. Rice, were among the ear- 
ly inn-keepers of the village. 

Abraham Winsor, George A. French, Joy Handy, 
Walter Chester, John M. Barl)our, Bela Tracy and Tho- 
mas J. Allen, formerly a niember of the legislature, 
were early merchants. Perez Dewey, who came to 
Sinclairville about 1833, was for many years the prin- 
cipal merchant, and most wealthy citizen of the place, 
C. J. Allen a brotherof Thomas J. Allen, Alonzo Lang- 
worthy, John Dewey and Nelson Mitchell, were mer- 
chants long in trade and well known. 

The first mails were carried in 1820 from Mayville to 
Ellicottville, by way of Sinclairville, by Sampson Crook- 
er, the father of Hon. O. A. S. Crookei-, who went through 
once a week on foot. The earliest postmaster was Dr. 
Henry Sargent, and the postoffice at Sinclairville was 
designated as the Gerry P, O. Between 1830 and 1835, 
a mail route was established between Sinclairville and 
Fredonia by the way of Charlotte Center, over which 
the mails were carried once or twice a week. Thomas 
J. Allen w^as the first postmaster. The route was sub- 



Hishni/ of Clidihtth . 41 

sequently eliaiifiod .<(> that it run IVoiii Sinclairville by 
the way of Charlotte (Vnter to. Silver ("reek, and finally 
that part of thr route from < "harlnttc ( 'enter t(» Silver 
Creek was aV>an(lone<l. leaving in operation that i>art of 
the route between Sinelairville and Charlotte Center. 

Obed Edson who removed from Sinehiirville about 
1828, and who now reside^< in Illinois, the brother of 
John M. Edson, in 1825, in conneetion with Reuben 
Scott, first established a semi-weekly line of stages be- 
tween Fredonia and Jamestown. ()l)ed Edson and 
Walter Eaton extended the line to Dunkirk and War- 
ren in 1826. This was regarded as a very important 
event at the time, by the people of Warren. Sinclair- 
ville then had a po{)ulation of not more than 75 or 100 
persons. Previously it had been designated as "Major 
Sinclair's. ■ After this event, and about the time of tiie 
death of Maj. Sinclear. which occurred, early in 1827, it 
began to l)e ealled by common consent Sinclearville. — 
Notwith-standing the village was thereafter so called' 
the postottice retained the name of "'Gerry P. O." until 
March in the yeai- 1869, when it was changed to the 
" Sinclairville P. O." — the spelling being changed to 
Sinckwrvillefrom Sinclmrville the original orthography. 

Besides Maj. Sinclear of Sinclearville, and Ilobcrt If. 
iSeai'^r of Charlotte Center, the following early settlers 
served in the War of the Revolution: .hmph IHx, who 
resided in the Pickett district, served two years and 
one-half, in Capt. Martin's company, in the 15th Mas- 
sachusetts regiment — the latter {)art of his enlistment 
as a sergeant. He was in the battles fought with Bur- 
goyne, the battle of Princetown, and other engagements. 
He was born about 175o, and died September 16, 1822. 
John Cleland, the father of John, Nathan and Samuel 
Cleland, resided in the north part of the town. He en- 
listed in Col. Willi.s's regiment in February 1778, and 
served during the Revolution two years. He was born 
about 1758, and died February KJ, 1827. hJlijah (Jarfer, 
who resided north of Charlotte Center, enlisted in Mas- 



42 Hi dor II of ('finrfofff. 

sachusetts for three year;^. He was at Ticonderoga- 
Valley Forge, and tlie Surrender of Burgoyne. He 
was born aljout the year 17H2. ('aleh ('(ark, the father 
of Orton and Adin Clark, who resided in the north part 
of the town, enlisted in the 2d New Hampshire regi- 
ment, and served four years and two months. He was 
at Trenton, and the pjincipal battles in New Jersey. — 
He was also in the battle of Stillwater. In the eastern 
part of the town resided Mr. Carpenter, who was also a 
soldier of the Revolution. 

The reminiscences of these old veterans, the rough 
and peculiar life led in the backwoods, and the famili- 
arity that the settleis acquired with the use of arms, 
were calculated to cultivate a martial taste, and conse- 
quently a military spirit ran high for many years. — 
Prior to the war of 1812, the- militia of the county was 
organized into one regiment, called the 162d, under 
('Ol. John McMahan. One of the companies of this 
regiment was organized in this part of the county, pre- 
vious to the war of 1812. Abram Winsor was commis- 
sioned as first lieutenant in February of that year. Ez- 
ra White was said to be its captain. Its mu.stering 
{•lace for many years, was on the W^arren farm, on lot 
52, two miles northerly of SincJairville. From its ranks 
were recruited the men who represented the town of 
Charlotte during the war of 1812. In April, 1815, 
Abraham Winsor was connnissioned captain of this 
company, and afterwards Joel Burnell. About 1816 or 
1817, an independent riiiecompany was organized, with 
Obed Edson before najued, as its captain. About the 
year 1822 he was connni.ssioned as major of a batallion 
formed in this part of the county, and Wm. M. Wago- 
ner as adjutant. About 1H2H the 212th regiment was 
organized for the towns of Charlotte, Gerry, ('herry 
Creek, Ellington, \'illanova and Ellery, and Obed Ed- 
son was commissioned as its first colonel. The regiment 
continued in existence for twenty years, during which 
time nearly all the young men, the greater part of the 



Hislnri/ of <'lui,/ottr. 43 

able bodied settlers of this part <>f the county, served 
in its ranks. The men and ottieei-s took pride in the 
performance of thcii' duties, and the regiment was well 
disciplined during many yeais after its tirst organiza- 
tion. On the tirst Monday of September, each compa- 
jiv of the regiment was annually assembled at some 
convenient point in the locality where it was organized, 
for drill. But no day of the yeai', not excepting the 4th 
t>f July, was so genei'ally obsei"ved as a holiday by the 
people, as the muster of the whole regiment, called 
'•General Training Day." On sucii occasions, nearly 
the whole [topulation would turn out to witness the 
sham tight, and othei' dis))lays. These general trainings 
were held at Sinclairville. and in later years at Elling- 
ton, and the Love stand, in the north i>art of (icrry near 
Sinclairville. * 

The succeeding colonels of the regiment were Reuben 
Penhallow, John M. Edson. John M. Baiboui-, now Jus- 
tice of the supreme court in N. Y. city, and Elias S. 
Hedges. The military spirit then began to wane, and 
the discipline to be relaxed. The officers were selected 
with less care, and the men began to regard the per- 
l(»rmance of military duty as a burden. The law re- 
(|uired them to furnish their own arms and equipments, 

* The tbllowiiio- extract is from a description of the Gen- 
eral Ti-aining-s in CiKuit:iU(iu;i c<Minty. hy .1. L. Bughec: 

"As ill nieuioiy we turn Itackward upon tiiosc scenes of 
our youtliful days, the reader will pardon a little digression 
while we speak of our military "(ieneral Trainings." The 
l>oys of forty years ago knew ol' only a very few days of 
aniusement, and eonsi)ieuous among them was this military 
parade, with its stirring, cheering martial music, from its 
l)a8e and tenor drums in large numbers, led by whole |)la- 
toons of the shrill an<l screaming fife. In front of these 
marched the dru)n major, beating the exact time with his 
rod, and every foot seemed to ohev the motion with the 
preiasion of eloek-woi'k, Kvery l)oy vvould husband his 
pennies for the whole year, that he might have a little 
•' spending money " for this occasion; when he expected 
to gorge himself with gingerl»read, apple pie, peaches, 
plums, cherries, cider and apples. At this day it is rathei' 
amusing, a.s ue p()n<l(i' upon those times, to think how the 



44 Nistory oj (Jliorlofte. 

and the consequence was that they were dressed "in all 
kinds of hats, all styles of coats, from the surtout to the 
sailor jacket; they carried all kinds of arms, from the 
shot gun to the stake from tlie fence," V)earing a strong 
resemblance to Falstatf's soldiers, on the march to Cov- 
entry, and the annual musters soon degenerated into a 
farce. The amusement created when the infantry of 
Charlotte elected Capt. Savage to command, his troop- 
ers red uniform, the ludicrous struggle with Col. Knapj> 
to maintain himself in authority, are still fresh in re- 
membrance. Col. Knapp was the last in actual command 
of the regiment which went out about 1841:). 

Sylvan Lodge of Fi'eemasons of Sinclairville, was 
chartered about the year 1824. Samuel Sinclear was 
its first Master. James Scofield the grandfather of Maj. 
Gen. John M. Scofield, and Richard Stockton were also 
Masters. Its first charter was given up soon after the 
anti-masonic excitement commenced. It was i-echar- 
tered June 11, 1853, and John M. Edson was appointed 
its first master, under the new charter. Caleb J. Alleiiy 
(3scar Hale, W. W. Henderson, Obed Edson, A. D. 
Tompkins, W. I). Forbush, A. P. Brunsou, John H. 
(■lark and A. A. Stevens, Jr., were subsequent masters. 

V)oys would count over their pile of peiniics, with the viow 
to uscertuiii the ([uantity of each favorite <lish iu wliich 
tiiey would be likely to indulge. 

•General 'I' raining usually occ-urred from the tenth to 
the twentieth ol' September. A short time after midnight 
on the morning of that day would be heard the tiring of 
small arms at the hous(!S of commissioned officer.-. This 
was usually done V)y the privates of the company, and if u 
field officer happened to live in the vicinity, the fun was 
more than doubled. On receiving this salute, it was ex- 
pected that the officer would come out of his house with a 
jug of rum or whisky, and treat the whole company. Very 
frequently they were invited in, and given all the 'black 
strap' and milk punch they desired. 

■'That the 'waking com|)jiny' might not fail to be in 
time, it Avas customary to spend the fore part of the night 
together, on some convenient hay mow. and this would be 
the place for the small l)Oys who wisiied to get an earh' 
start, and hear the cry of the first peddler on the ground 
telling them how much could be l)ought for a penny." 



flisforii of ( 'fi(irl(>ff< 45 

An Odd Fellows Lod^e wasorgtanized about the year 
1851, and held regular meetings during several years. 
Elias S. Hedges was the first Noble (Jrand. 

Sinelearville Division, No. 017, of the Sons of Teni- 
])erance, was instituted July 2, 1850, and continued to 
liold meetings for several years. 

In 1833, the legislature passed an act by which the 
interest of the Holland Land Company in their lands 
in western New York, which before that time had been 
exempted from taxation became taxable. The compa- 
ny after the passage of this act, caused notices to be 
served upon such persons as had failed to make pay- 
ment of the amounts due the company upon their land 
contracts, to pay or arrange such balance, or to quit 
their premises within two months. The most of the 
lands in the towns of Charlotte and Gerry, and adja- 
cent towns, were held under these land contracts. The 
settlers had been unable to make payments fully upon 
their conti'acts, not from the want of industry or pro- 
per effort, but for the reason there was no market for 
their products, and by reason of their poverty and the 
scarcity of money. They had bestowed their labor un- 
stintedly however, in clearing and erecting Vjuildings. 
The land for which the company had paid but 32 cents 
an acre, and which they had sold to the settlers of 
(,'hautauqua county, at the average price of $2.50. — 
The improvements that had been made, and other cir- 
cumstances, had greatly enhanced the value of the land. 
The settlers in most instances were far behind in their 
payments. With the sacrifice of all their personal pro- 
})erty, it would have been impossible for them to have 
paid the amount due at the land office. The company 
also commenced to sell out the lands unsold. The first 
sale was made to Hinman Holden, of all unsold lands 
that it held in Charlotte. They also required new con- 
tracts to be made where the purchaser had failed to 
make payments when due, in wliich they materially 
advanced the price of the land, and exacted a payment 



46 Htstory of {Jharfodr. 

down of one-eighth of the purchase money. 

These extraordinary requirements on the })art of the 
company, together with discriminations that they made 
in their deal with the settlers, unfavorable to those who 
were the most punctual in their payments, created 
great dissatisfaction and greatly excited the people in 
the poorer towns of the county. A public meeting of 
the settlers was held at Jamestown, and a committe con- 
sisting of E. T. Foote, Oliver Lee, Samuel Barrett, Lev- 
erett Barker and (reorgo T. Camp, were appointed to 
visit the proprietors of the Holland Land Company at 
Batavia, and ascertain their purposes with i-egard to the 
lands and the settlers. The committee were referred to 
Judge Peacock, their agent at Mayville. Another meel- 
ing was held at Mayville, of which Leverett Barker was 
chairman, and John M. Edson secretary. The meeting 
was addressed by Judge James Mullett, and Judge E, 
T. Foote and others, and a committee of seven was ap- 
pointed, to wl)ich was added the chairman and secreta- 
ry of the meeting, to confer with Judge Peacock. The 
committee performed the duty, but with no more favor- 
able result than l>eforo. The subsequent agitation of 
the subject among th(^ setth'rs, inclined them to more 
y>arsh and decisive mensures. A meeting was called at 
Hartfield, then known as the " Inlet." but few attended 
it. A little later anofhei' meeting was held at the In- 
let, on the ()tli of Fol)rua,i-y, \^'M\. iM-oni ::0() to 50t> 
persons wei'e asseinbhul thei'c, among wfintn were peo- 
ple from Chai'lotte. Resolute^ leadei-s were- a|)i>ointed, 
and the peo{>le started from the Inlet about dusk, and 
marched in onlerto Mayville, and tiled around the land 
office. Upon a signal from their principal leader, tiiey 
broke open the land office, and removed the books and 
papers; they then demolished the office, and returned 
to the Inlet, where they burned the books and papers. 
No move was ever made to prosecute the persons en- 
gaged in this unlawful proceeding, and the land pro- 
prietors, not long afterwards, established anew land of- 



//ijitorif itf Chtiiloffr. 47 

fice at Westtield. with William II. 8c\vaid a;^ tlicii 
agent, but never aftorwaids attempted to enforce the 
extraordinary exactions ol what was called the "Gene- 
see Tariff," and no further trouble occurred between 
the settlers and the proprietors. 

Hardly had the first log caV)iii l)een icared in the 
wilderness, before it was visited by that early mission- 
ary, the Rev. John 8penccr. to cheer and encourage the 
pioneer in his struggle with the formidable dilticuities 
that surrounded him. " Priest Spencer's " life in the 
forest was an active and toilsome one. Every abode ni 
the town received fiom him frecjuent visits, and often 
would he on the sabbath, deliver a regular discourse to 
no other audience than a single family. He understood 
the duties of his calling well, and faithfully he perform- 
ed them. There are many anecdotes which illustrate 
the brightness of his intellect, and the kindness of his 
lieart. He was born at Spencertown, Columbia county, 
i!i this state, in 1758, and was of the same family as 
Hon. Ambrose Spencer, and nearly related to Joshua A. 
Spencer. He served in the war of the Revolution, and 
was for some time aid of the gallant Col. Willets. He 
was a congregationalist, and came to the Holland Pur- 
chase as a missionary of the Connecticut Missionary 
Society. He is described by Dr. Taylor as " plain and 
simple in his habits; as a preacher remarkably clear 
and logical. He dressed in the antique style of Revo- 
lutionary days, wore short breeches, with knee buckles, 
long stockings and boots quite up to the knees." Mr. 
Spencer founded thirteen churches. He died in Busti, 
August 24, 182G, and was buried in Sheridan, two miles 
west of the center. 

Rev. Asa Turner, a baptist preacher, was also an ear- 
ly mis.sionary here. He was social, and consequently 
popular among the settlers, and was always warmly 
welcomed bj' them. 

The fir.st religious meeting in the town, was held by 
the Rev. John Spei\cer, October 22, 1811, in the first log 



48 History of (Jharfoffr. 

house built by Maj. Sinclear. Tlie first relijjious socie- 
ty organized, was the Methodist Episcopal. A class 
was formed about the year l<Sr2, at Charlotte ("enter, 
and consisted of Joel Burnell, and seven others. Wil- 
liam Brown was their first minister. In 185], they first 
erected a house of worship at Sinclairville. The church 
now numbers fifty members. The society erected also 
in 1851, at Charlotte Center, another church edifice. — 
Rev. W. W. Woodworth is the present pastor. Aniong^ 
the former pastors were Rev. John Sumnierville, Rob- 
ert Hatton, Benjamin Hill, Asa Abell, John Scott, Jo- 
seph Barris, J. C. Ayres, J. Chandler, David PrestMti„ 
James Gilmore, Hiram Kinsley, John .1. Steadnian. .lo- 
siah Flower, D, W. \'orce, H. H. Mooi-e, R. L. Bhick- 
mail, Peter Burroughs, Henry Martin, K. M. Bear. iv. 
M. Warren, Rufus Pratt. A. L. Kellogg, A. .1. Lindsfy. 
nnd H. W. Leslie. 

jFor many years commencing about 1820, meetings 
were regularly held by the Christians, or Unitarians. 
Rev. Joseph Bailey and Oliver Barr, wei'e able and tal- 
ented ministers of that denomination. Rev. Eli Holi- 
day was a later clergyman, and (icorge P>uiley an (tcca- 
sional preacher. 

The First Ba[)tist Church of Sim-JHirvillr. vvasoi'gaji- 
ized June 2, 182H. John McAllister and eleven others 
were its constituent members. The toHowiug is a list 
of the pastors of the church siiu-e it.'^ orgafii/.ation; — 
Rev. Mr. Blake, VV^oodbui-y, Be-avcr, .Jonathan Wilson. 
James Schofield, .Jr., Winsor, Fi'ink. William Look. W. 
H. Husted, A. Iro?is, (4eo IX Dcnvnry. B.C. Willough- 
by^B. H. Brasted, D. T. Lockwood, A. Kiiigsl)iiry. B. 
Morley, and J. L. Powell its present pastor In 18;!-J, 
at a cost of $2,000, a house of worship was? erected. — 
This was the first church edifice built in the town. 

The First Congregational Church of Sinclairville, 
was formed July 22, 1831, by Rev. Isaac Jones of May- 
ville, Rev. Timothy Stillman of Dunkirk, and the Rev.. 
Obediah C. Beardsley of Charlotte,, on the Presbvteriaa 



His'lmi/ of Chnrlottf. 49 

plan. It consisted at tirst of twenty-three persons. — 
Rev. O. C. Beardslcy wiis its tirsl pastor. Rev. Joseph 
Emery. Mr. Wek-^ter. E. Tayloi-, Mr. Dnn forth /Edwin 
Hoyt and Timothy (iaie were succeeding pastors. April 
oO, 1842. it was changed from the Presbyterian form, 
and oigaiiizcd as a rongreg^ational Church, letters be- 
ing granted as a basis of the new organization to thir- 
teen memV)ers. September 2o, 184o. a hou.se of worsliip 
Avhich liad been that year erected, was publicly dedica- 
ted. Rev. Chester W. Carpenter was the first pastor 
under the congregational form. Rev. John H. Sage. 
N. H. Barnes. Richard B. Bull. Edward I), (-hapnian. 
E. P. .McElroy. 1. I). Stewart, were succeeding pastoi"??. 
and Rev. W. Vj. Lincohi is the j»resent pastoi*. 

The Eirst Univei-salist Sdriety of Charlotte was or- 
ganized .\ugust 2H. ISoiK and the Rev. Wm. W. King 
was its tirst pastor. In isr>l, ;i bouse of worship was 
erected there. Rev. Mr. Payne, O. B. Clark, have since 
been pastoi's. The First Universalist Society of Sin- 
clairville, was organized Feb. lo, 1859, and a house of 
worship erected at that village. Rev, Isaac George was 
its pastor. 

The United Brethren is a more recent religious or- 
ganization of the town. It has at present no church 
edifice, but has a considerable membership. 

St. Paul's Church of the Cross of Sinclairville, ( Cath- 
olic) is the last religious organization of the town. It 
was organized in 1871. Their houvse of worship is the 
church erected by the Universalist society in Sinclair- 
ville, which was purchased in that year. It was first 
under the pastoral care of Rev, Father Alfrancis. 

Early in 1849 a telegraph line was completed from 
Fredonia to Pittsburg, with a station at Sinclairville,— 
The line was not long in opei-ation. 

No event in the histoiy of Chautauqua county, ex- 
cept the construction of the Erie canal, contributed .so 
much to promote its material prosperity, as the comple- 
tion of the Erie Railwav. This road, the building of 



50 Ilidory of (Jhadoftc 

which had been so loiif? and anxiously anticipated by 
the people of the county, was opened to Dunkirk May 
14, 1851. The immediate eiiectwas to greatly advance 
the price of real estate, and also the principal staples 
of the county. Butter, which a few years before had a 
value of ten cents a pound, and at some times but six 
cents, advanced to twenty cents. This and othei- pro- 
ducts obtained a cash as well as a greatly oidiaiu-ed 
value; while often articles for which, before this event' 
there was no sale, acquired a market value and brought 
ready pay. For instance, before that event, largo num- 
bers of sheep were annually slaughtered in the interioi- 
towns of the county, and no other use could be made of 
their carcases than to try them into tallow. After this 
thay could be sold at New York, and the east, to supj)ly 
the markets there. Charlotte received the full benetit 
resulting from this great enterprise, and the growth of 
!Sinclairville was greater than it had been at any time 
before. A steam tannery, a church, several stores, and 
many dwelling houses were erected during the year 
1851, and its population found to be 430 — an increase 
of 50 in one year. 

For many years the route of travel from the villages 
of Warren, in Pennsylvania, and Jamestown, in (Chau- 
tauqua County, to Buffalo, and, subsetjuent U) the com- 
pletion of the Frio Railroad to Duiikiik, was the high- 
way lettding through Sinclairville and tlie town of Char- 
lotte. All the freight and passengers passing between 
these |X)ints were carried through here. In the summer 
©f 1851 the enteri>i"ise of the }>eople of Stockton had 
effected the completion of a plank r»>ad from Dunkirk, 
through Fredonia, Stockton, aud Delaiiti,. to the north 
line of the town of Ellicott, where it met a like road 
that had been constructed from Jamestown noi-therly. 
It was called the "Central Plank Road." The prospect 
that the tr ;vel that had pressed over the route leading 
through Sinclairville would be divertetl led the people- 
along the latter route to organize a company, with ti 



HistO)']! of ( 'hffiloftr. .M 

capital of $30,00(). for the construction of a plank road 
from Fredonia, through Cassada^a and Sinclairville, to 
meet the Jamestown plank road at the north line of the 
town of Ellicott. $11,000 were subscril>ed in Cliarlotte, 
Sf),000 in Gerry, «2,000 in ('assadajja, and S7,0(K) in Frc- 
df)nia. The company was organized in Novemher m 
December, 1851, and called the " Fredonia and yinclair- 
ville Plank Road Compuny." Perez Dewey was ciiosen 
its tirst president. The road was completed in Decem- 
ber 1852, and had the ettect to retain tiie travel that 
liad formerly passed through 8inclairville, and to con 
tribute to the growth and prosperity of Sinclairville 
and the adjacent country during succeeding years. 

Great rains prevailed during the year 1851, producing 
nnusual freshets — destroying crops, mills, and bridges. 
'J'he loss in Sinclairville alone was estimated at $1,000. 
The summer of the succeeding year was in strong con- 
trast, being exceedingly dry: the streams and pa.stures 
dried up, tornadoes occurietl, one (»f great violence 
passed over Sinclairville, one building was blown down, 
several others unioofed, and the congi'egational church 
moved several feet from its foundations, besides other 
damage done. 

Soon after Maj. Sinclear came to Sinclairville, he do- 
nated a space of ground for burial purposes. It was 
situated on lot 41, near its northern boundary, on the 
west side of the road leading to Charlotte Center. It 
began to be used in 1811 or 181*2 for such purpose, but 
it had no definite boundary until many years after- 
wards, when Jonathan Hedges, who had succeeded Maj. 
Sinclear in the ownership of the lands, executed a deed 
of two acres, which included this, and a little addition- 
al lands that had been purchased by the public of him. 
The grounds were still further enlarged some years la- 
ter. The lapse of time, and the growth of the village 
and the surrounding country, rendered the grounds in- 
adequate, and a meeting was called, and the Evergreen 
Cemetery Association was incorporated June 21, 1802. 



52 History of Charlotte. 

Lands were first purchased lying immediately north of 
the old burial grounds, and subsequently other landt* 
lying adjacent to, and west and south-west of it were 
purchased, which are enclosed with the old burial ground, 
constituting a tract of ten or twelve acres, beautifully 
and conveniently situated. At the organization of the 
association, six trustees were elected, and Barnar<l W. 
Field was chosen from their number as }>resident and 
superintendent. These i)Ositions he lias continued to 
till, giving his personal attention to improving and em- 
bellishing the grounds, which lie has accomplished with 
unusual taste and skill, rendering theju unrivalled for 
their beauty and adornments. 

On the 12tli day of April, 1861, the Intc civil Mar com- 
menced with the bombardment of Fort vSumptei-. Du- 
ring its continuance, the town of ( 'liailotte furnished 
its full shai'eof men and money. Xotown in the coun- 
ty, filled its quota with more j>r()mptnp«s, and in few 
towns did more citizens serve in the ratiks in propoi- 
tion to population, than from the town of Cliarlutte, Tln^ 
close of the wai' tbund its quotas tilled, and a surpluf* 
of funds provided. 

The first call for troops was made April lo. iSHl. tor 
75,000 men, for three months. May 3, 18bl. a second 
call was made for 42,000 men, foi* three yefirs, and for 
ten regiments foi* the regular army. In response to 
these calls, Lucius B. Arnold in August. 1801, Hiram 
Waterman, and George W. Barbour, enlisted in the 41ith 
N. Y. Volunteers, commanded by CoL BidwelL This 
regiment was in McClellan's campaign on the peninsu- 
la. It participated in the battles of Antietam, (!han- 
cellorville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness 
battles and other engagements of the war. Waterman, 
who was a sergeant, was killed October 10, 1864, at Gai- 
dar Creek, in the Shenandoah Valley. Arnold was con- 
stantly with his regiment until discharged in July, 1805- 
Alonzo W. Cross, William More, and his brother Mil- 
ton More, enlistetl iu the fall of 1801, in the 44th regi- 



Hi>ifo)f/ of ChnrloH,. 53 

ment of X. Y. Inlaiitiy. ur 'Ellswoilli Zouaves." lor the 
town of Charlotte. ('ro.s« was the tirst of those who 
represented the town to fall in the wai. He was killed 
at the battle of Malvern Hill. Xoveinher IS. 18H2, Dan- 
iel H. DeLisle, Riehard La8elle. Alexander Hose. John 
D. Hill and Mahlon Denslow. enlisted at Sinelairville. 
in the 72d regiment of N. Y. \'olnnteeis. commanded 
by Col. Nelson Taylor. This was a veteran rei>iment. 
It served in the Army of the Potomac during McClel- 
lan's Peninsular Campaign, in Pope's Campaign, and 
also at Antietam and Gettysburg, and in other battles. 
In the month of Octobei', 1801, the following young 
men enlisted for the town of Charlotte, at Westtield, in 
the 9th N. Y. Cavalry, nearly all in (^o. K. of that reg- 
iment: Charles E. Dalrymple, Levi Pierce, Dewitt 
Squiers, Cyrus Torry, Thomas H. Torry, and George 
Phillips, and also E. M. Lee. Squiers and Phillips died 
in the service. The regiment was in McClellan's Pe- 
ninsular, and in Pope's campaign, at Chancellorville* 
the battles of the Wilderness, and in the Shenandoah 
Valley under Sheridan. 

A third call was made by the president in July, 1862, 
for 300,000 volunteers to serve tluee years, and in Au- 
gust of the .same year, a fourth call was made for a draft 
of 300,000 militia to .serve nine months. A military 
committee was formed in the county for the purpose of 
rai.sing recruits. Hon. A. F. Allen was chairman of 
this committee, and T. D. ('opp, of Charlotte, was one 
of its members. Under the supervision of this com- 
jnittee, the 112th and 154th regiments of N. Y. volun- 
teer.s, were raised in response to these calls. The follow- 
ing persons enlisted from the town of Charlotte, in Co. 
" B.," of the 112th : J. D. Maynard, tirst lieutenant un- 
til discharged at Sutfblk, May 28, 1863, for physical dis- 
ability; Manhattan Pickett, George A. Clark, James Al- 
verson, he died in the service; James H. Bellows, Hi- 
ram P. Bellows, Andrew J. Brewer, James A. (-ady, 
Norman S. Cook, died in the service on board of the 



54 History of Char (off*!. 

steamer Arago, and was buried in the sea, Burnett W. 
Davison, George W. Fisher, George Gilien, Rosuoll W. 
Graves, Henry F. Holdridge, Willis Kilborn, Leland 
A. Kirk, died in the service, Sidney F. Stewart, Edward 
J. Thompson, Daniel Barhite, and John Essex. C'harles 
W. Smith enlisted in Co. "I," of tlie same regiment. — 
The 112th left Jamestown September 11th, 18P.2, and 
arrived the same month in Suffolk, Va., and participa- 
ted in the defence of that place, when attacked by Long- 
street. They remained in Virginia until August, 1888, 
when they sailed for Folly Island, near Charlestown, 
S. C. They remained there during the seige of Fort 
Sumpter, and until February, 1864, when they embark- 
ed for Jacksonville, Florida, They returned to Virgin- 
ia on the 4th of May of the same year, and joined the 
Army of the James. IXiring the summer they partici- 
pated in several severe engagements and battles, in the 
vicinity of Petersburg and James River, in which CoL 
Drake and Lieut. CoL Carpenter were killed. The loss 
of the regiment at Cold Harbor on the 1st of June, was 
153 in killed and wounded, of whom 40 were killed. — 
They embarked at Bermuda Hundred, and on the 13th 
of December sailed for Wilmington, N. C, and partici- 
pated in the assault and capture of F'ort Fisher, in which 
the regiment lost 13 killed, including its Colonel, J. F. 
Smith,and 31 wounded. The regiment subsequently 
marched to Raleigh, and on the 13th of June, 1865, 
were mustered out of the service. The regiment when 
organized, was composed of 1009 men. They afterwards 
received 465 recruits. 169 died of disease, 125 died by 
casualties of battle. Of those who represented the town 
of Charlotte, nearly all weremembersof Co. '' B." com- 
manded by Capt. W. H. Chaddock. 

The following persons enlisted from the town of Char- 
lotte, and served in Co. "F," of the 154th: Thomas Don- 
nelly captain of the company. Homer A. Ames pi'omo- 
ted during service to second lieutenant, Eugene M. 
Shaw promoted during service to assistant surgeon. 



hiixftnlj uf ( '/lllilnHr. iV) 

George A. Tnvlnr j>roii)(»t«'(l to sciiiiMiii. iMkcu prisuiior 
at Gettysburg, jiiitl died in tlio iiiilit;iiy (nisou un lU'lIc 
Island; John M. I rwin sngcjinl. Iluj>li Krwin s('r.u«nnit. 
died in tin* .scrvite. William Allen killed at llie Itattle 
of (.'liaiicollorvillo. K<lsi.»n I). Ames, .\ugns^u^ lininliam. 
Janies P. Skill'. Moses St«'\('ns. .lame-^ I 'i»lnii. .lolm Mai- 
)»pr. Blythe Hai'fKM'. \\'iii. I). Ilar|u-r. Ilui>li UarjKM'. 
Blytlio Eruin, Tjntmas l^iwin. Monroe Vounu. ('Iiaile."- 
H. Brown, (iied in llie sei\ iei*. Mihin .1. (iriswold. I'ai 
gene Travi.^. .I<jlin Taylor, lame-^ il.(ireen. |);iiiiel Kel- 
ly. Thonia.*^ I>. Spiking. A. M. \\ agoner. l»ol>eit MeKee. 
Willifj Dingley. Nelson J»ro(»ks. .lames < >. ('o|i[t. George 
Gitlen. \V. Devillo l''oil>nsli,MamiltoM Hudson. (.)liv<T 
Bruuson and .lames I'lenliee. The l.~>4tli lelt .lames- 
lowii in SeptenduT \SiV2. tor the .•^eat ol' wai'. They rv- 
iiiained several weeks at .\rlington Heights, and Kaii- 
I'ttx Court House, and were tliere hrigatled and (•()nsli- 
tuted a part of the IOIeyent;h .\rmy ( 'or|>s, under ( ien. 
iSiegel. The. first battle in. which tln^v were engage<l 
was (.'haneellorville. There (lie reginu'Ut was baiily ' 
cut to piece.s. Co. '• !•" " alone lo.-^ing ."> killed. 7 wounded 
and 13 prisoners. 'J'hey were next engMged in the bat- 
tle of Gettysburg. They afterwai<]s l>eeame a part of 
(he Twentieth Army; Corps, untler (ivu. Hcwtker, ,'ind 
went .'joulh and formed a part of the army undei'(»en. 
Sherman, and marched with him to the .sea. They 
among other engagements, participated in the battles 
of Lookout N'alley. Get. 2i*. Ist;:;. Lijokout Mountain 
and Mission Ridge, N<»v. 2:!, 24 atid 2.'). l<S<>r). in Tennes- 
see, a I. so in tlw following battles in (reurgia: iJocky 
Paced Fiidge, May S. bStj4. Kesaea. .May b"). Dallas. Mav 
25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, Pine l\nol».fune 15. Kenesaw .liuie 
28, Peaeli Tree Creek July 20. the investment of Atlan- 
ta from July 22 to Sept. 2. They marched to Savan- 
nah with the ai'iny of Sherman, and subsecjuentlv re- 
turned thi-ough the ( 'arolinas. 

Prior to the calls for men made in July and .August 
of 1802, no bounties were paid. Under these calls $25 



56 History of Cluvrloite. 

was generally paid to each of the men enlisting in the 
112th. This money was raised by subscription, and 
was never put into any tax. Jolin Dewey headed the 
^Subscription list, and was active in raising tlie money. 
As tlie enlistments in the 112tii did not hll the (juota- 
an informal meeting was held by some of the citizens, 
!ind a more equal and effective plan agreed upon. \i 
was decided to raise and pay a bounty of $100 to each 
vokmteer. A note was accoi'dingly diawn for S'^,600. 
the amount necessary, anil was .s-igned f)y some of the 
citizens, and endorsed by Al<»nzo Langworthy. who, 
trusting to the faiiiiess of the citizens of the town for 
its repayment, when ti»c taxes should be collected in 
the fall, [)rocured the money and disbursed it. Boun- 
ties of ^100 were {>a,id U\ eacli of the men wlu> enlisted 
171 the 154th. and the(|Uota of tlie town under the call 
of.july. lS(i2. was (illed. In the fall the sum of $;;,7.S,S 4:'/ 
i-aised, being the amount ol the note and tlie accumu- 
lated interest, was appoi-tiojied for payment atnong the 
tax payers. accor«ling to \\w amounts of their respec- 
tiveassessments. .\ Ithough [)arty sj)irit ran high thi'ough . 
the country, anti particularly so in the town of ('hai'- 
lotte during the progress of the war. the citizens sin- 
eerelyand radically differing in their fiolitical views, 
being about equally divided between deniocrats and re- 
publicans, yet this tax was paid without dissent, although 
it had no legal validity ,and no {)ower existed toenfoi-ce it. 
The country having failed to meet the calls of Au- 
gust for 300,000 men, C^ongress^ March 8, 18Go, passed 
an Enrollment Act, by which all able bodied male cit- 
izens, and aliens who had declared their intentions to 
become naturalized, between the ages of i<S and 45 were 
enrolled, and divided into two classes. All persons be- 
tween the ag'es of 20 and 35, and all unmarried peivsons 
between the ages of 35 and 45, to constitute the first 
class, and all others the second class. A commutation 
clause provided that the payjnent of $300 should be re- 
ceived in lieu of service. The act also provided for ex- 



Hisfori/ of i 'hitrlntit . o7 

emptions. Tlif cniollnieiit in ( 'iKirlutIc wms ni.'4<lo in 
-liiJU!,. l8()o: "iJ^'i iniMi \\>'ie f-n rolled in tlHM<»\\n. •»! whom 
178 wei-e in tlu> Hist class, and 114 WH\e in lln' second 
class. Under the call of .Vn^ust. ISH'J. the <|n(»ta lor 
the town, hased upon its populntion as Wxi-d liv the mil- 
itary committee ol" the county was oo. In June. l.StK), 
sj note for the j)ayn)ent of ^n,7i'>4 2(». was sioncd hy ma- 
ny citizens, and endor.sed. and the money i>l»tained hy 
Alonzo Langworthy, as in the year hcl'ore. for the pur- 
pose of payiu.u hounties. The draft was oidcre<l liow- 
ever. and took [)lace for the town of (Jharlotte at l)unr 
kirk, on the lt)th of August. ISH:;, hut the (juota of the 
town had heen leduced l)y enlistments since .July 2d of 
the pievious year, so that theie lemained hut twenty- 
six men to he ol)tained. Fifty pe>- cent was adclecl to 
the numher to he diawn, in ordei' topi'ovide againstex- 
emptions, and HS names were drawn from the first class,, 
which had heen reduced hy exempti<»ns to i;)9 jiames. 
The following is a list of those who were draftetJ: .John . 
Shoemaker. W'ahlo Hill. Levi K. Ward, (leorge ('ardot, . 
Royal E. Sheldon, .\lfred Kile, .lames H. Lewis, .John. 
H. liailey. Patrick MHloney,()hed Simmotis. Riciiard . 
'I'hompson. A. H. Doty, (^has. \V. Seaver. Hamilton Hud- . 
son, Albert Thompson. Loren Stevens. Elisha Wilcox. 
Almond Ji. Stiaight. lulius Elliott. Addison Sprague. 
Stephen W'arner. Leander White, .James H. Lyon, Kd- 
gar A. Bronson. Geo W. Barher. Blythe Erwin. .lames 
Rose, .John F. Wood, Frank Langw(»ithy. Fied. H. Mal- 
lory, .las. !>. Woodworth, W'm. McNaughton, Wm. H. 
(tleason. .Joseph Duhurst, Orren Kohertson. Nathan I*. 
Newh^n. Daniel Kelley. .h>hn Odell. Of tho.se diawn. 
I(J were exempted for physical di.sahility. S foi- other 
causes, li furnished substitutes, 12 paid conunutations. 
none reported for duty, and five failed to report. The 
draft here, as everywhere else, failed to j)roduce men. 
and money only. In the counties of C^hautaucpia and 
Cattaraugus, only KKS of the 2t)2:> men drafted, report- 
ed for duty, and 1352 were exempted. The remainder 



5R ffistory of Charloffr, 

furnished substitutes or commuted. 

October 17, 1868. the Hfth call was made IV.j- 3(l0,0(>O 
men. In the fall of this year the amount of \\ie note 
and interest, in all the sum of ^5,925 45, was appor- 
tioned among the tax-payers, and paid without dissent, 
as in the year before. To make up for tlie great losses that 
the army sustained the year before, on the 1st day of VA> 
ruary, 1864, a sixth call was made by the Piesideuf for 
200,000 men, and for ttie deficiency under the las! call. 
February 9th, a law was passed by the liCgislature of I he 
State of New York, giving ample authority to towns to 
mise money to pay bounties to volunteers. I'nder this 
act special town meetings were held from time to time, 
during tl)e year 1864, for that [)urposK April '29th. 
Huch a town meeting was held at ReedV Hall, in Sin- 
clairville. June 7th a meeting was lield at the .sanu- 
place] at which, by a large vote, a resolution was adopt- 
ed t(> raise ^6.o0<>. to pay ixMuities. A <tncntli call was 
made by the pi-esident Mai-ch 1-1, bsrd, for -JOOAXIU men. 
A.H a call for a greater ninnhei" of intm \\a- roiittnipla- 
ted by the governinent.lhan liad been maiU' al anyon<- 
time before, a draft was ordered, in order (hat the (pio- 
tas of tlie various localities should be lilied preparatory 
thereto. This draft was n)ade in .Iiuie, for the town <»!" 
CharJotte. for nine men that were then lacking to till its 
quotas- upon previous ealls. Seveial of the men ilraft- 
ed having been subsequently exempted, new drafts were 
immediately made, until nine men wert; accepted. The 
following is a list of those di-atted, that were tinally 
held for military service:— (.'handler Johnson. Tho- 
mas Donnelly, Milo A. ('leland, Tliomas Bowen. 
Lester Parsons, William Allen, James H. Bennett- 
James Rose, and John Nichols. The men so di'afted 
either commuted or furnished substitutes. On the IStJj 
of July, 1864, was made the eighth call for nOO.OOO more. 
Enli,stments had been obtained so that the quota for the 
town was fixed by the military committee at but 89 
men. The ninth and last call was made December 19, 



IhdoT]! oj < 'h(iif(itt(. .)!' 

1864, for "SOCOOO men. Town moetinpjs were licld in 
in September to authorize the raising- of money under 
the call of July 18th. At a meeting- held September 1. 
it was voted to raise $2,000, by ii vote of 17 in favor and 
J 2 against ; and at a meetinsi held December 20th. it 
was decided to raise a further sum, by a vote of 127 for, 
to 69 against. In pursuance of the authority given a1 
these town meetings, notes were from time to time exe- 
cuted, and the moneys raised, as m the rases before 
mentioned. Such a note was executed July !)th, 1861' 
for the payment of 110,000, and another September 2o. 
1864, for $4,098.36. The bounty tax collected by the 
town in the fall of this year, amounted in the aggre- 
gate to the sum of $15,039.00. Tbe war eiuled on the 
26th day of Mny. I860, with tlic suDcndei' of the ('on- 
federate Army under Gen. Kirby Smith. The tax as- 
sessed against the town during tlie hist yearoftlic war, 
( I860,) was $5,811 

Henry (■. Lake was the supervisor of tin; town in the 
year 1861. In 1862 and LSii;) Timothy I). Copp, and 
in 1864 and 1865 Henry Reynolds. During the war the 
duty of raising tlie men hugely devolved upon the; su- 
]:>ervisor oS the year ni which theijuota was to l)c hlled" 
and they were active in perfoiniing that duty. Tbe 
supervisors were aided by committees, that were ap- 
pointed from time to time, at the several town meet- 
ings. Among other citizens wlio .served upon these 
committees, were John Dewey. W' . W . Henders(m, and 
Henry C. Lake, all of whom rendered eihcieiit .service. 
The responsible charge of i)rocuring and disbursing 
the moneys directed to be raised by the town meetings, 
in llie })ayment of bounties and other war expenses, 
and the management of linancial matters growing out 
f>f the war, were by common consent imposed u}»on 
Alonzo Langworthy. These important cliarges, so in- 
trusted to him, were [)ciformed greatly to the advan- 
tage of the town. 

Besides the persons before named, wlio enlisted from 



60 History of Charfoffc. 

tlie town, and represented it during the war, were Ed- 
win H. Ames, who enlisted in the 7th Co. of Sharp 
Shooters. He was killed in tJK^ hjiltle of the Wilder- 
ness. John Ames, G. Rogers, ami (iet)r/ieW Burroughs 
John Jones, and Albert W. Cummings, enlisted aiid 
served in the navy; Cummings, during-the latter part 
of the war upon the Giossbeak, which formed a j>art of 
the Mississippi squadron. 

From the data that we liave, the town of Chailotte 
furnished for the army and navy during the war, lioiu 
its own citizens, at least eighty men. Of these, 12 were 
killed in battle, or died in the service; a still greatei 
number were more or less severely wounded. About 
30 citizens furnished substitutes, or })aid commutation 
money. The remainder of the men required to fill its 
(|Uotas, under tlie different calls of the president, were 
raised as in the most if not all of the othei' towns ofth< 
j-ounty, l)y the payment of l)ounties to recruits enlisted 
«)utside of the town. They were (>l)tained mostly b\ 
T. D. Copp. The number of men re(|uired to be laised 
by the town, under the vai"iou.>< calls of tijc president . 
was over 100. These ((Uotas were all tilled, with proba- 
bly an over[>lus of men iu favor of the town*, some ot 
whom by oversight oi- for other cause, wei-e not credit- 
ed to the town, as they justly should have been, and 
others who enlisted outsi<le of the state could not be 
credited to it. Besides its share of the state debt foi" 
the payment (tf bounties and other wai- ex j)en.ses. which 
the town is recpiired to pay, and besides payments foi~ 
substitutes and commutations in lieu of military ser- 
vice made by its citizens, which have never been inclu- 
ded in any state tax, the town during the war raised Ijy 
annual tax the sum of $30,503.88, for the payment of 
bounties and war ex[)enses. The citizens of the town 
also made other contributions; "The Soldier's Relief 
Society of Sinclairville and vicinity," was organized 
Oct. 29, 1801. Mrs. E. D. Chapman, and Mrs. Joins 
Dewey, were the presidents of the society during its ex- 



HiKton/ ttf i'iia\li)tti til 

istence. During the war it torwardc*! ilotliing. |»iovis- 
ions and hos[)ital stores, to llie ainouni of $700, besides 
considerable cash. This sum includes some c«)ntiibn- 
tions from the noith )>art of (ici iv. and the c<'ntral )»or. 
tion of Charlotte. Fiom the ■ \'«>lunt«'<^r Fund."' raised 
bv private subscription, not included in any tax. uitli 
the exception *^\ S1o8. receiv<'d from ihe l«»\vn. were 
paid for bounties, tlie leliefof the families of volunteers, 
and other objects c(Uinected with the war. =t;912.o.J. 

The incidents tliat occurred in the town in Ihe year 
1HH8, are of sutticient importance as lu entitle them to 
some mention in a town histoiy. in March (d' that 
year, Orton Clark, an old and respected citi/.en of the 
♦own, and formei Suirogate of the county, wasaccident- 
ally drowned at Sinclairville. while attempting to cross 
the creek. In 1868. occurred the severest fire that ever 
visited Sinclairville. About one o'clock on the morn- 
ing of the 7tli of .\|>ril of that ycai-. the Rentiett block, 
situated on the south side of Main street was discovered 
1o l)e on fire. Thiee stoi-es compiisinj; this block, oc- 
cupied respectively by Henry Sylvester. W. D. Forbush 
and L. Moniieimer. the Sinclairville hotel, owned V)y 
Levi Harrison, .situated on the nortii side of Main street, 
the dwelling house and barn of Ezra Richmond, a meat 
market, and shoe shop weie burned, and a harness shop 
torn down; in all seven buildings. During the sum- 
mer season of this year, unusual thunder storms pre- 
vailed, by which several barns in the town were struck 
by lightning, and their contents consumed. When the 
census was taken June 1st. 1870, the population of Sin- 
clairville. including those inliabitants of the village 
that lived in the town of Gerry, was found to be 575. 

The practicability of constructing a railroad from 
Dunkirk, by the way (.>f the Tassadaga and Cone wan go 
valleys, to Warren. Pa.,an<l other points akmg the Al- 
legany river, and tlius bring Ruflalo and \\"estcrn New 
York in connection with the oil and coal regions of 
Western Pennsylvania, hail been but a short time un 



(f>2 Hidory of CfiaHottt. 

der considerjition, when a pulilic mcetiii":, of wliich C 
^. Allen was cliairinan, was for the first time lield in the 
summer of lS()f), in the villaue of Sinelairville, to pro- 
mote the eiiterpiise. Subsequently other meetings 
were hel<l at Hinchuivillf^ Dunkirk, and Kredonia, n\ 
which |>reliniina)v steps weie taken foitiie organization 
of the )'oad. It was iinally organized tiie succeeding' 
winter, vmder the iiameol the Dunkirk, Warien (li" Pitts- 
l>nr£i Ivivilroini. 'V. D. ( '<>pp and Alon/o Lan^worlliv 
ol' Sinclairvillc, wcmc directors li'onv its oi'^a nidation t(v 
its (^om|)[etion. The ioiiiiei' Ix'ino,' duiing this timetlu^ 
president Their infhienee and well (iirecte(l ell'orls, 
]ar<^ely aid<'d in cUci-tniii the const ruction of the road. 
April 2;)d, an act was passed Ity the legislature ol the 
State of New York, autliorizinf> th(> towns in (his coun- 
ty to subsi'.rihe to the capital st.ock of th(^ road, and un 
der this act foi, 000 ol st<>('k was so suhscrihed Ity tji< 
town of ( 'harlotte The lirst work was jK^'fonned on 
this road hy the en.<;ineers, June 17, 1<SH7. and the woi'k 
of ^radini; eonnnenced Octoher o{\ of the same year. — 
The track was laid from i)uid<irk to Sinclairville Juiu 
1, 1871, and the lirst pas.seno-er train })assed over the 
j'oad south as far as Workshur.!; or Falconers, June 2'J. 
1.S71. The roa.d was afterwai'ds conipk^ted to Wairen. 
and continutHl to Titusville, Pa. The people of Char 
lotto, and central ( 'hautau(jua,, who had before tlK^ir 
been compelled to travel by &ta,^e, and in o])cn vehicles 
in inclement seasons of the year^ and in order to reach 
a mai'ket, to transport their [)r(>ducts over loup, and te- 
dious r(Kids, had long" felt the disadvantages of their 
isolated locations, in the reduced prices of their farmin^i 
lands, as compai'cd with those that were no l)etter, but 
were situated in more favored localities. By the com- 
pletion of this road,, they sud<Ioiily acquired the bene- 
fits of (juick transportation, ra.))id travel, more accessi- 
P)le niai-kets, and a hioher value foi- their lands, ('oal 
and oil has been the princi[)al articles of freight by 
which the road has Iwen. sustained thus far. 



/li.sfori/ of Chorlvfft. 83 

The great majijiity ot the early siettlers who came to 
Charlotte, were unedueated ineii in the ordinary sense. 
The only hooks to he foun<l in then cahins for many 
years alter the settleitient of the town, hesides the hible. 
was a Dil worth's spelling; hook. Pike'^ aritinnetie, or 
Morse's geography, and now and tlien a copy of Poor 
Richard's almanac. Telegraphs were unknown, and 
the mails barely reached this distant wilderness. For 
years the only jmper I'cceived in the town of Charlotte, 
was a single copy of the An)any < Jazette. taken by Maj. 
Sinelear. This ])aper was I'cgarded as tlie common 
]>roperty of the settlers in this vicinity, and its arrival 
at the postoffice at Fredonia was watched with great in- 
terest, and its contents eagerly ]»eriised and ])ublicly 
read. J. M. Ed.son who was then a i)oy. usually acted 
as the reader. This single sheet brought to them near- 
ly all that they knew of what was traiispiiing without 
the wilderness, of the principal events in the last war 
with England, and of the woiidejful campaign,'^ of Nn- 
poleon; which excited her*.- at this <listant frontier, the 
same interest and astonishment, tlint his remarkable 
career did everywhere else. With such limited facili- 
ties for mental improvement, without schools and books* 
the early j)ioneers received only the rough schooling of 
the forest, which proved however of more value to them 
and their successors, who enjoy the fruits of their la- 
, bor, than all the discipline of books and schools. Al- 
though the pioneers of the t<»wn posse.ssed but few ad- 
vantages for obtaining an education, they sought to 
give such opportunities as were in their power to then' 
children; schools were early estal>lisjied ain(»ng them. 
The first school was taught by William Gilmour, in the 
winter of ISll — 12, in the log house erected in 1809, by 
Ma.j. Sinelear in Sinclearville. The ischools there, had 
been previously ke{)t in a school house built in I-SIM, in 
the town of Gerry, adjacent to the village. The fiist 
shool houses in the other districts of the town were in- 
variably built of log.s. About lS2'liind bS25,book agents 



64 History of CharloUc. 

appeared, and books began to be more plenty. The^ 
citizens of Charlotte Center and vicinity were well in- 
formed, and possessed a decided taste for l)ooks and 
mental iini)rovement. About the year 1832, a circula- 
ting library was founded there, which was called the 
"Charlotte (^enter Private Library Association." It 
contained 200 or 300 volumes of good books, and c(jn- 
tinued in existence until about the year bS42, when the 
library was dissolved, and the l)0(»ksdistri)>uted among 
its meiTd)ers. About lh(; year 1840, a circulating libra- 
ry was founded at Sinclaii'ville. It contained 75 or 100 
volumes; it was dissolved about the yeai" 1842. A])0ut 
the year 185(5 or 7, the Parmer's Club of Hinclairville 
founded a siiudl }il)raiy, consisting of agricultui'al 
works; it continued in existence 'out a short time. — 
February t), 1870, the .Sinclairville Circulating Library 
was established, with Aion/>() Langwoi'tby as its presi- 
dent. It has boon c.\ce(!-dingly pi'ospei-ous^ and largely 
pati-onized, and is ra])idly extending a taste for reading. 
It now numbei-s ()00 volumes. 114 ditfe rent persons 
during the year (hiding Jannai'y 1, 187(5, received books 
fi'onl this library, and 2045 vokuncs during that year 
wei'e read. 

In early years, there was only n local mai-ke^t for but- 
ter and cheese, articles which have since become (he 
staples of tlie town. l*'a.rniors tiien b>ok little pains in 
selecting and kee])ing tlieii" slock, and farming in other 
respects was at a low ebb. The institution of agricul- 
tural fairs iiowever, began to awaken some interest. — 
The Cbautaucpia ( -ounty Agricultural Society was or- 
ganized January 4, 1837, and fairs were thereafter an- 
nually held at various points in Chautauqua county. — 
In 1849, the county fair was held at Sinclairville. an<l 
was very largely attended. But the con:pletion of the 
Erie Railway advanced the fai-ming interest niore thar> 
any other event. It enabled the butter and cheese, and 
most other farming products to find a regular market. 
Fences and buildings were put into better repair, and 



Jlidnrii nf ( 'IntfloHr. f>5 

farmers begun to improve their breeds of eattle. A lew 
years later, when the mowinij: macliinc eaine into use. 
and better farming implements adopted, a still greater 
interest was manifested in agrieultural pursuits, and 
soon dairying, and the various branehes of agriculture 
reached a most pr{)sj)erous and thriving eonditioii. — 
Farmers, however, did not co-operate firt' several years, 
and each manufactured his own butter and clieese. — 
A.sahel Burnham was the first to inaugurates change 
in this respect. lie, in 18<)5, built and opened an ex- 
tensive cheese factory at Hinchiirville; believed to have 
been at that time the largest in the state; at which was 
manufactured into cheese in that year, 1,049,064 pounds 
of milk, from HoO cows, l)elonging to 120 patrons of 
•this cheese factory. Mr. Burnham made during that 
year, 7,250 cheeses, each weighing fJO pounds. Some 
of the time as many as HO cheeses in a day. He also 
built and owned several other cheese factories in the 
adjacent towns of Arkwi'iglit and Stockton. The first 
cheese .factory erected in the county, was built by him 
in Ark Wright; the second at Sinclairville. The facto- 
'"ies j>roduced a great change ni the pursuit of dairying, 
and cheese factories, and creameries for the manufac- 
ture of bulter,'sprung up in other parts of the town, and 
through the county. Now the farming community are 
fully alive to- everything which relates to their pursuit, 
and by intcivhangc of views, and other jvracticable me- 
thods, seek to promote its interests. Besides Vhiirying, 
the raising of horses, cattle and sheep, engage their at- 
tention. The Sinclairvillc Fariner's Grange was insti- 
tuted in Sinclairville this year. Allen A. Stevens is 
its master. 

The "Sinclairville Fair Ground Association " was or- 
ganized November 5, 1874, with H. F. Kimbe! as pres- 
ident. Over twenty acres of land have been procured, 
lying in Sinclairville in one body, u[)on lots 33, 34, 41, 
and 42. An excellent driving track has been comple- 
ted, and is now in use. Several acres have been set 



6f> Ilistm-y of Chatlofk. 

apart for the display of stock, and other purposes^ upon 
which the buildings of the society have been erected 
The grounds are finely situated and in complete condi- 
tion, and are inclosed by a new and substantial fence. 
An annual fair was held there in 1875, and will be held 
ngain in September, 1876. 

Sinclairville, according to the census taken in 1875, 
had a total population of fi95, of which 608 were in 
(Tliarlotte, and 87 in Gerry. The town of Charlotte, by 
the same census, had a population of 1708. 

And now, having sketched the history of the town 
from its settlement on the 1st day of April, 180->, to tin- 
present year, the work assigned me is completed. In 
performing it^ I have presented facts and dates, with dry 
particularity. It may perhaps be thought that I liavf- 
been unnecessarily minute in giving them; but they 
were details that I had at command, and it was re(|ue?«t- 
ed that I should use them fully. They clearly liave en- 
abled me to give a more faithful history. * 

As the pui"pose declared by Congress for gathering 
: these assemblages to-day through the nation, is to ob- 
tain a complete record of the progress of the institu- 
tions of tliis country, it is proper for me to glance at 
the present condition of our town, and its piogress with 
in the century. The villages of Sinclairville and Char- 
lotte Center are now sustained principally by the trade 
and business that the surrounding country atford. The 
former is a principal station upon the Dunkirk, Allega- 

*To mv father .)ohn M . Ed.son. I um iiidehtecl lor many 
ijiiggostions. «nd very imrch of th«> djitji Irom wliit-h llii» 
«ketch lias l»ce»» prepared. As ho came to I'ljariolte in 1810. 
he has been for 66 yearn identified with the town, and it 
is well known, was familiar with the particulars of its set- 
tlement, and siihsctiuent history, rndctitcdness is also at- 
knowledgect to l». W. Seaver, John Pickett, the (Jleland 
brothers, and otherearly residents o)! the town for other 
facts given. To the same persons, and to early settlers of 
the town of 'lorry, shonld also be credited tlie materials, 
from which I prepared sketches of Charlotte and Gerry, 
published in Mr. A W, Young^s History of Chaulauqua 
Cotinty. 



ffiN(nr)/ of Clifir/otfi . r.T 

iiy Valley (V- Piitsbur^' Railroad, at which considerable 
quantities of pressed hay. huttej-. cheese, stock, apples, 
and other cinnniodities are annually sliijipt'd. The town 
IS an apjricultural town. Nearly every acre of its land 
is arable. Its soil is 'l)ctler titted for pasturage than til- 
lage. A fertile soil, streams, sup|tlied by sprin<is ot 
clear, cold water, the }»ure air oi a highland )i'<iioii. 
cool nijjhts, and refresliini; dews, piesei yiiiii tlie hehls 
fresh and green in sultriest seasons, adapt Ihe town In 
dairying, a pursuit to whicii the people aie almost wln»| 
ly devoted. These features. contiii)Utiii,u so much to 
the fruitfulne.ss of its .soil, greatly add to the charms of 
its fine rural scenery. Here, from pleasant valleys, ris'^ 
gently sloping hills. Hills and valleys overs[)read in 
rich variety, with wood lands of den.se foliage, luxuriant 
meadows, and rich pasture lands. How fair is the pros- 
pect, at this blooming sea.son of this most bounteous 
year! How great the change wrought m this region 
since its first settlement 07 years ago! Where now is 
the well-worn turnpike,and the railway, bridging streams 
with costly mason work, was then only the ob.-^cure and ' 
tangled wood-path, leading from the huml)lc log dwel- 
ling of the i)ioneei, to that of his distant neighbor.— 
Where now arcjiopulous villages, ])j()ad cultivated fields, 
flocks of sheep and g'razing cattle, stood only majestic 
forests, unbroken, save here and there by a few narrow 
clearings of the frontier.s-men Instead of the railroad 
whi-stie, the church-going bell, and the many bu.sy 
sounds of industry and civilization, was heard only the 
solitary chopper's axe, the bell of his browsing cattle, 
or the howling wolf at night. 

We may observe even greater changes in this western 
country, if we go iiack but a century — and it is l)u( a 
little while, scarcely outstretching the life of some if 
may be, who are .still living within its limits. Yet 100 
years ago, all of New York west of Utica was a wilder- 
ness. The region which includes (;hautau<pin countv 
was barelv known. The whole of Western New York 



68 Histwy uf Charlotte. 

was un&urveyed, and not all explored. It was the an- 
cient home of the Irequois, a race as untamed and sav- 
age as when Columbus discovered America, and there, 
secure in their fastnesses, they waged fierce wars against 
the white man, as the massacre of Wyoming and Cher" 
ry Valley attest. In 1779, when Gen. Sullivan march- 
ed to devastate tiieir country and punish them, it was 
regarded but a waste. Major Sinclear who accompanied 
this expedition, marched as far west .'is Painted Post, 
then believed it to bo entirely valueless, and never des- 
tined to be opened for settlement. Yet he, a little later, 
pushed a hundre<l miles farther west, and became the 
founder of this village, and saw rising a hundred cities 
and villages, where he l)ut thirty years before beheld a 
pathless wilderness. 

But what progress can our country show in the cen- 
tury that has closed ? A theme that to-day is upon a 
thousand tongues. But a hundred years ago, its mea- 
gre population was gathered close alongits eastern mar- 
gin, l^yond the Alleganies, over the vallej^ of the 
Mississippi, stretching away thousands of miles to tin 
Pacific ocean, was a vast wilderness, the domain of in- 
»iumerable savage tribes. But to-day the Barbarian 
has vanished, and all is changed I The once silent, track- 
less waste is teeming with civilization ! Where the In- 
dian wigwam stood, I'ise great metro}>olises: Cincimuiti, 
Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco; and now oui" 
whole country, grown from three millions j^f people to- 
over forty millions, is laced together with a nctwoik of 
Railways, iron bonds, that bind the North to the Soutii, 
the East to the West, in an indissoluble union ! What 
century in the history of the world can show a change 
like this? 

Much as our countiy has added to her material i>ros- 
perity, it has not been gi'eater than her contributions to 
the world's advancement. What progress is implied in 
the mere mention of the discoveries and improvements 
that our couiitiviuen have made within the centurv I 



/fhtnri/ >>f ('h(trh,1(, r,0 

What a burthen of toil lias l)e(')i lifted from the liuman 
race ! What a world of comfort litis hccn bestowed up- 
on it by the invention (»f the iciipinij; machine, the sew- 
ing machine, the cotton gin, the steamboat, and the 
telegraph ! 

But our festivities to-day commemorate by far the 
noblest achievements of the American People. The 
Declaration of Independence, the War of the Revolu- 
tion, and the Constitution of the United States, are con- 
tributions in the interest of the human race, that liave 
done more to lift it up, and shield it from oppression, 
than any other hi this, and perhaps than any century 
Before those events, the civilized world was divided in- 
fo great centralized Monarchies, which seem to have 
been created solely for the beneht of their rulers. The 
people were thought to have no rights. Patriotism con- 
sisted in loyalty to the king, who ruled by divine right 
But during the last century, writers and phiiosoidiers 
m France, put forth new ideas of the rights of man- 
kind, of the authority of kings, and of the purposes for 
which governments should be established. The divine 
1 iglit of kings was denied, and the nialienable rights of 
^ the people proclaimed. Yet these new and advanced 
ideas, rested wholly in theory, until Americans, blest 
by favoring circumstances, could give them force. They 
were first declared as a justification for a great ])olitical 
revolution by Jefferson, in the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence. They wore defended by Washington, and the 
patriots of the Revolution, at the cannon's mouth. They 
'were embodied into a system of government by our first 
statesmen, in that masterly instrument, the Constitution 
of the United States, which secures to the People, a Gov- 
ernment by the People. These principles, our country- 
men have now upheld for a hundred years. Times will 
change — Laws will change — and creeds will change — 
but may we not trust that these sacred piinciples will 
remain unchanged when tJic (ireat Festival shall be 
held a century hence. 



70 



Charlotte Natiwud (Jcniamial. 



The Band played an appropriate piece of music. 

"Hail Our Country's Natal Morn," was sunu;': solo }n- 
Mrs. L. M. Lincoln; chorus hy the Glee Cluh. 

A vote was passed, dii'ectinij the ('(mnnittec to causp 
to be printed the Historical j\ddress of Obed Edson. 

The weather, which had been fair during the ceremo- 
nies, now chani^ed, and the lain beiiau slowly to fall — 
which prevented a basket ])icnic in the prove, which 
had been intended. Tlu^ nssejnl)la<2:c howevei- immedi- 
ately repaired to theample buildiiiijjsof t he Pair ( troun(i^ 
which were well provided with tal)k\>^. and otbei- ccinvc- 
niences, and partook of their I'cfresliiiicots, enjoying a 
social and pleasant hour, frequently enliv(^ned by mu- 
sic from the band. The a.ssembla^e comi)rised the 
greater portion ot the population of tlie town, besides 
many from the town or(Jeiiy, ;)nd other towns, not- 
withstanding like cei'emonies were h(>in<;had at James- 
town, and at othei- jtlaces in (he: ronniy. 

At suns(;t, a national salute wji.s rired. 

In the evenin*.;, a display of lirewoi'ks was made by 
the committee on tire woi-ks. 

The day wasobserved in ('hailolte with renin ika'ble. 
f;jood order and sol»riety, and i;ave iicm^ral satisfaction 
to all who in any way j)artici])ated in its ceremoines 




r.uU^lMi^^^. ^C/ 



APPENDIX. 



BUSINESS RECORD FOR JULY 4, 1876 



SINCLAIRVILLE. 

Nelson MitclH'll,(TC'neral Store, Main street. Slieldon 
tV Williams, ( li. K Sheldon and Eduiu WillinniH,) (len 
eral Store, Main street. Thompson iSr Lapliam, ( l>. Iln,t 
Tliompson and, 11. W. Laphain,) General Store, eonier 
Main and Park streets. Billings Bros, {^r<y/, II., mid 
(^hati. II. liilliiif/s,) <2;eneral store, Jamestown street.— 
Nelson Osborn, groeery store, Main street. John Pear- 
son, grocery store, Main street. (tco. C'opp. grocery 
store, Main street. Frank Burns, grocery stcne, Main 
street. Bargar Bj'os,, ( Emory (>., a.ttd Wesfohy I>ari/ar. ) 
drug and grocery store, Main street. Alhert E. Phil 
lij)S, drug and grocery store, Main street, W, W, Hen- 
derson, drug store. Main street. Joscpli Tolenso. doth 
ing store, Main street. Chas. W. Hedges, t;ii!or sliop 
mid librarian ot the Sinclairville Library Association. 
Main street, F. ('hristian, tailor shop. Main street. — 
Mrs. H. A. Kirk, iniliinery and fancy go<fds store, Main 
street. Miss Hannali (•liase, millinery and tancy good.'. 
store. Main street. Mr.s. Maiy Sylve.<=te]iind Miss Mary 
Tannon, dress niJikcr's .shop, Main street. Mis. Eliza 
Kelley. dre^.s maker's shop, Main street. Reed iV' Rey- 
nolds, ( lin/idrd liccd and I/oir;/ I'l'ijnoldH. ) geneial hard- 
ware store. Main street, William Trusler & Co., ( Wm. 
and Thomas VV/'kAv, ) hardware stoie. Main sticet. T. 
H. Morian, tin shop. Main street. Edward Faulhalter, 
furniture store, Main street. Wm. VV. DeLisle, furni- 
ture store, Jamestown street. William Tugwell, meat 
market, (;orner Main and Jamestown streets. Wait & 
Pierpont, ( Adelbert K. Wait and John K. Pirrpo/if. ) meat 
market, Main .street, Sylvanus Norton, harness shop. 
Main street. (Gilbert <S!' Neill, { L. B. (iilhrd and John 
Neill, ) harness shop, corner Main and Jamestown streets 
<4eo. E. H.irrison, omnibus line, livery stable. Main st 
H. A. & F. W. Kirk, shoe shop, Maiii .street. Almon 
Atkins, shoe shop, Maf>Ie street. John (Trcshmei", sh<ie 
shop, Park street. William Hcppner, .steam tannery- 
Water street. Elisha McAllister, tannery. Mill street, 
(treen it Hall, ( ffanlci/ (irccn and SJuldnn M. Hall.) giisf 
mill, {water) Water street. Wood tV: Johnston, ( .lolm F. 
Wood and Janies Johnston,) grist mill, (nalvr) Mill street. 






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